Walking with God and experiencing Him in worship we discover that our destiny isn't unfolded in a moment, but over the course of a lifetime.

The flow of destiny has a rhythm to it, a choreography. It reminds me of ballroom dancing (once you get the hang of it). It has that kind of feel.

I remember watching all the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies when I was growing up, in which the two partners flowed with elegance and grace on the dance floor. They were so well attuned to each other that Ginger Rogers would follow Fred Astaire's lead intuitively. She felt it, and she moved with the rhythm.

Then the time came when it was her moment to shine. Though Astaire still led, he would bring her uniqueness and flair into the overall work of art they were weaving together, and he delighted in her while she performed. She anticipated where he was going, and she could feel it the split second before he did it.

I was fascinated and inspired by the creative flow that took place on every dance floor, every stair and even the ceiling in those movies. Wouldn't you like to be in that kind of harmony with God--to dance with Him, as it were? I would.

Though the Scriptures are full of stories of men and women dancing, perhaps no account is as poignant as the story of David dancing before the Lord (see 2 Sam. 6:14). The word for before in Hebrew means "face to face."

In other words, this was not a solo performance by David in the presence of the children of Israel as he made his way to the heights of the mountains. This was the visible David dancing face to face with his Invisible Partner, who took the lead and directed the flow of David's steps in the direction He desired. The steps (dance steps?) of a good man are ordered of the Lord (see Ps. 37:23).

David had to travel light if he was going to dance with God. He had to lay aside the garments of position, performance and external identity and put on the robe of transparency and self-disclosure.

Others may identify us based on our function and our role. But God sees us for who we truly are apart from all that: transparent, unashamed and following His lead. In the dance to the higher places, our feet become more surefooted. We make the difficult thing look so easy that others observing us watch in awe and wonder.

But part of dancing with God as He unfolds our destiny is coming to the realization that life doesn't arrive on our doorstep in a neat package. Life can fool us and play tricks on us. Sometimes the very opposite of what we expect to happen takes place, and then we have to figure out a way to turn those moments of reversal into opportunities for seeing the goodness of God in the land of the living.

The "feel" of destiny is so different when we finally realize it doesn't happen the way we thought it would or the way some fantasy book told us it would. To partner and flow in a dance where two wills become one is an exquisite experience. There is a flow that can't be explained--it has to be experienced.

Rebellion Against the Word

We talk about believing the whole Word of God, but we ignore the parts that are hard to understand or that conflict with our notions about propriety, decorum and modern science.

The Bible says, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil" (James 5:14-15, NKJV).

If you belong to a church that believes the whole Bible, and you are sick but don't present yourself to the elders for healing, then you are in rebellion against the Word of God. The Bible has commanded you to call upon your elders, to receive their prayers and blessings, and to receive forgiveness for your sins.

Some believers are hurting, and some are in trouble or sick, yet they never call the church. They're self-sufficient. They want to do it themselves, or they just want the doctors to take care of it.

But you can't do this alone. God put elders in the church to minister to your needs, and He commands you to come to Him through them for your healing.

Any time pride causes you to ignore the Word of God, you're not living by kingdom principles but by a mind-set of pride and doubt from the very gates of hell. And that kind of life simply cannot coexist with the life of the kingdom.

Mark J. Chironnais the founder of The Master's Touch International Church in Orlando, Florida. He is a popular speaker and is seen regularly on Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Twelve years ago, Steve and I did the most ridiculous thing ever and bought a giant fixer-upper of a house. It wouldn't be crazy for most people to do it, but it was crazy for us because we are decidedly NOT fixer-upper sort of people. I mean, we can paint and do surface stuff, but anything more complicated than that is beyond our ability and happiness. We consistently discovered that he would rather be golfing and I would rather be reading and so most of our non-essential home improvement projects stalled out somewhere between Home Depot and the next good book.

In spite of our reluctance to tackle upgrades, we've always loved this house. It has five big bedrooms and an office that I adore and a big lot on a noisy street which I also love (is there any music more beautiful than the sounds of a city waking up?) As our children began to grow and move out, other people's kids moved in. Family dinners and noisy Movie Nights and birthday parties and baby showers all found homes in our big, un-pinteresty home. It has been the joy of my life to be a place where people gather.

When Steve was diagnosed, my future in this house grew murky. Many reasons exist as to why, but one of the biggest was the feeling that I could never take care of this place on my own. I began to look around at condos and bungalows and quickly realized I didn't have the emotional fortitude to face that idea just yet. The real estate market in Bend is ca-razy and I have plenty crazy on my plate right now. So I settled into the home that I love and told Jesus I would trust that He had gone before me and would be there when it was time to figure out my next step.

And then, something crazy happened. I took a leave of absence in December and somehow I found a latent fixer-upper gene in my DNA! Turns out, all that time of actually being in my house and in front of Pinterest inspired me to do a few projects. And you know what happens when you do one project? Landslide.

Each improvement makes the rest of the house look worse, so the list keeps growing. And soon the projects were moving beyond my skill level, requiring actual...power tools. For so many years, I've convinced myself I couldn't do things like this.

I've even convinced myself I couldn't create a home that looked the way I wanted it to look. But I was wrong. It has been a lot of work and a a lot of asking for favors and a lot of watching DIY videos on You Tube, but now I know I can do it.

I can figure things out when I need to! I can use a power drill! I can brave the aisles of Home Depot without feeling like they're going to kick me out! So far we've redone our living room, dining room, one bathroom (with another in the works) and laundry room. I love this house more than ever and I also love the things I'm learning. And my point in this blog post (even though it's taken me 600 words to get here) is: Steve is to blame.

Steve is to blame for this change even though he didn't help with anything. In spite of the fact that he is unable to lift a finger, he is the primary human force behind every brave thing I do. For thirty years, he's been second only to the Holy Spirit in helping me tackle the hardest things. It's not that he says all the right things, it's that he is the right thing. His belief in me and his unfailingly gracious response to my (million!) failures through the years has made me believe that I really can try anything.

I probably can't succeed at everything, but I sure can try it, and if I make a terrible mess of it and everyone in this world thinks I'm a loser, there is one person who's convinced I'm not. One man, who wouldn't want to be with anyone other than me. I mean, it's astounding to me still. And his love has been my secret weapon for as long as I can remember needing a secret weapon.

Here's another thing I realized this week: for the past four years, I've been working in fast forward – trying to do all the brave things while I have him here with me. This has included things like traveling to Europe, writing books, reaching out in new ways to people who need me, Christmas tree shopping, learning to love running, going away for a night by myself and – yep – becoming a fixer-upper. These things have been possible because Steve is in the background telling me I'm smart enough and strong enough and scrappy enough to do hard things. To keep moving. To live large. It's amazing to me that a man in a wheelchair can be the driving force for a girl who has all her muscles. But it's true – for me and for countless others who Steve has encouraged and believed in during his pilgrimage here on earth.

Of all the things in all this world that I treasure and wish I could keep forever, the way Steve has helped me escape the prison of fear is The Most. The biggest. The best gift I've ever been given.

When I imagine life without it, I have to remind myself to breathe. And all of that gaping breathlessness has to be immediately turned toward gratitude or I will drown in sorrow. So I force my thoughts and words to thank our dear Father that I have Steve now and to thank Him that He will fill the gaps in the future.

Already, I have a handful of friends and family who uniquely possess the Gift of Steve. They are encouraging and inspiring and, while they will never take his place, I see God putting them in place as pillars in my life that I can lean on.

If you are blessed to have someone in your life who you know would believe in you no matter what, take a minute today and thank God for that great gift. And maybe take a minute and thank them, too. Sometimes we assume people know how heroic they are, but then we discover that they're as filled with self-doubt as we are. I think we're created to need each other to be our best selves in the best possible way. I hope I help someone else fly someday. One thing is certain: I've learned from the best.

Bo Sternis a sought-after speaker and writer, and a teaching pastor at Westside Church in Bend, Oregon. She is passionately involved in raising awareness and funding for ALS (Lou Gehrig's) research, with which her husband was diagnosed in 2011. For more info and to follow her story, visitbostern.com.

On February 16, 2015, I had a prophetic dream where I saw two armies that were facing one another on American soil. One army had a flag that said, "Prayer Movement" and the other army had a flag that said, "Awakening Movement." Riding on white horses, two generals of the movements came out to meet one another.

As these generals gathered, the Spirit of God spoke to me in the dream and said, "These men and these movements must join together to fulfill my purposes in America. For surely intercession gives birth to awakening and awakening gives birth to more intercession. This three-chord strand cannot be easily broken. Many moves of My Spirit have known intercession unto awakening, but I am releasing awakening unto intercession in America that will sustain the coming outpouring of My Spirit. The awakening that is coming to America will give birth to many houses of prayer."

As the Holy Spirit spoke this, these prayer and awakening generals got off their horses and took off their helmets. They got down on their knees and extended a hand to one another. As they grasped hands, lightning from heaven struck the ground and a great shaking began to take place in America. The two armies that were facing one another began to embrace and sharpen one another's swords.

The Spirit of God spoke again in the dream and said, "This is my Nasharite Army that will fulfill my end time purposes in America. They will intercede for awakening and out of awakening in America will come much intercession. It is not enough to pray for awakening, this Nasharite army must pray through awakening."

In a previous dream on May 5, 2014, I was given greater insight into this Nasharite army as I found myself in a medieval-looking city with thousands of saints who were oppressed and fearful because the enemy had laid siege to the city. I began to rally the people and tell them not to be afraid. Suddenly, several key leaders of the prayer movement in Kansas City, Missouri, appeared and told the people to get ready for battle.

As the army assembled, I began to prophesy in the dream and say, "For every 1 voice of awakening that God is raising up in America, He is releasing 7 voices of prophetic intercession that will prepare the way for the coming revival." This Nasharite army carries the DNA of man named Daniel Nash who at age 48, gave himself to prayer for the meetings of revivalist Charles Finney during the Second Great Awakening in America. Nash would go into territories before Finney's revival meetings and travail and intercede until he won heaven's blessing upon the meetings.

Similar to Daniel Nash, I believe God is raising up a Nasharite army in this hour who will not only cry out for awakening, but labor in the secret place to see it come to pass. As awakening comes, it will be the fuel that drives these men and women back to the place of prayer. It was said that when Daniel Nash died, the ministry of Charles Finney ended. We cannot underestimate the power of prophetic intercession and how directly connected it is to awakening and revival. We must move past simply showing up to revival services and actually give ourselves as believers to travail and intercession. As we begin to experience the burden of God for our generation and watch Him release awakening, it must drive us even further into abiding in Him. Apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).

I prophesy that a uniting of the prayer and awakening movements is coming to America. There will be many strategic gatherings of awakening generals and prayer generals to release the word of the Lord and to deliver clear prayer agendas to the body of Christ. I see a Nasharite army rising in America whose bread is travail and whose water is awakening. These men and women will intercede for awakening and when it comes, it will be a sign to pray some more. We must see awakening sustained in America through a consistent lifestyle of prayer and fasting. There is not other way forward.

What to know more about the next great move of God? Click here to see Jennifer LeClaire's new book, featuring Dutch Sheets, Reinhard Bonnke, Jonathan Cahn, Billy Graham and others.

Jeremiah Johnsonis the servant leader of Heart of the Father Ministry in Lakeland, Florida. A gifted teacher, book author, and prophetic minister, Jeremiah travels extensively throughout the United States and abroad as a conference and guest speaker. Jeremiah and his wife, Morgan, reside in Florida with their two children: Bella Grace and Israel David.

What takes you into times of sadness or even depression? Recently I found myself in this place and for days I wrestled feelings of depression and sadness. I prayed. I sang songs. I spent time with God. I went on a prayer walk. Still, I was in a funk.

Finally, I realized the root cause of my sadness. I found myself thinking about areas where I had failed. "If I had only done this, maybe this would not have happened." I was second-guessing myself. I was looking at all the things that I thought I should, or could have happened from my circumstance that didn't. Another word for that is "regrets." Do you have any regrets in your life?

Sometimes we can do something about our pasts. We can make restitution where we were wrong. But there are other situations that no matter how hard we try, there is a negative outcome and it cannot be reconciled. In those cases we have to let go. We have to commit those things to God and say, "Lord, I have done all I know you have asked me to do and things still did not turn our right."

Obedience does not equate necessarily to good outcomes. Obedience got Jesus the cross. Many martyrs for Jesus have obeyed and died for their obedience. We see this going on in the Middle East right now. Every week we are seeing Christians being killed because they proclaim faith in Christ.

We need to understand that we are in a war zone every day. Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy from our lives it says in John 10:10. More importantly, Satan wants to define us by our past – especially past failures. He does not want you to believe God is a God of new beginnings. God always looks at us in terms of our future. When God came to Gideon, He addressed him, "Oh, mighty warrior." He was far from that at the time.

There are circumstances in our lives that happen that remind us of our past. This can bring discouragement and make us think we haven't made any progress. Satan often reminds us of who we once were. But God sees us for who we are becoming. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me" (Phil. 3:12).

We are never going to get to a place where we have arrived. We will always be human, and this means we will never be perfect. But we don't have to be completely healed in order to step into the future. Recently a staff member said a teach used to say to her, "Fake it til you make it!" What was he saying? He was saying, "Faith says we call things that are not as though they are!" (Romans 4:17). Scripture says, "As a man thinketh, so is he." Stink'in think'in can lead to stink'in behavior if we allow our minds to meditate on the past.

Satan wants us to believe we are powerless over our circumstances, that we are the victim of an unjust God that left us here to suffer. But God wants to transform our past into a new beginning.

The enemy only has power over us when we make agreements with his lies. When we let others define us instead of God, this becomes an idol in our lives. We cannot let others who see us in a negative light define who we are going to become. Only God has the right to do that.

Wounds can come through words, but the truth makes us free. "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

We must believe and receive the covenant promises. "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

"I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken" (Psalm 62:1-4).

For some of us we need repentance. First we need to repent of anything that we might have actually done that has contributed to our regrets. Once that is done, forgive yourself. Allow God to love you unconditionally and receive His forgiveness. "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."(1 John 1:9).

So, let me encourage you to see yourself as God sees you. He sees you as His son or daughter in whom He delights.

The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing" (Zeph. 3:17).

Os Hillman is the author of TGIF Today God Is FirstTodayGodIsFirst.com and president of Marketplace Leaders.org

Note: A photo of John Mulinde was incorrectly identified in this story earlier today. Charisma Magazine apologizes for the error. This is the third in a series of articles by John Burton on understanding the threat of sin in the life of Christians. For part one, click here.

Check out this lengthy but wildly troubling story of an encounter by John Mulinde, a leader with a world ministry on every continent except Antarctica. God told him, "If I had come today to take My Bride, you wouldn't be part of that. I wouldn't take you."

Here's his story:

Then suddenly a bright light hit my eyes. My eyes were closed. I was on my knees with my head on the ground, but a bright light hit me. I lifted up my eyes and said, "What is this?" I opened my eyes and I couldn't look in the light. Even when I closed them, it pierced into my eyes. I bowed my head again, and I was trembling and thinking, "What on earth is going on?" Then I heard a voice, deep and calm. He called my name three times. I couldn't answer. There was no strength in me to answer, but inwardly I was saying, "I'm here." He called me—"John"—three times.

Then He said to me, "I knew you before the creation of the world, and I chose you and set you apart to serve Me as a witness in these last days. I want to say to you, if I had come today to take My Bride, you wouldn't be part of that. I wouldn't take you." I can't describe the shock that came upon me. I think I was in shock. I didn't even respond. It hit me. He repeated it. He said, "I wouldn't take you. For it is written, 'He will appear to those who wait upon Him' (Is. 49:23, paraphrased). You're not living your life as a person waiting upon Me. You're allowing all kinds of filth to come into your life. You're living like one who cares not." As I said, I couldn't speak with my lips.

At that moment I was thinking, "This can't be happening to me. I gave up my job to serve the Lord; I gave up my house that my father had given me because I wanted to go to the mission field. I gave up this, I gave up that; this can't be God saying to me that He wouldn't take me." None of my theology and teachings could accept that. He spoke to me these words written in the book of 1 Corinthians 6. He quoted them; I found them later. I couldn't even remember that they were in the Scriptures, but later on I found them in the Scriptures. It says: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:10). "THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPERATELY WICKED" (Jer. 17:9).

He went on to say to me, "Your life is so full of filth. You walk with an outward appearance, and you cover many things in your heart. You forget that I am the Lord who examines the heart. You are not ready to meet Me." He began to say to me, "If your life is full of this and this and this and this, then are you ready for My appearance?" As He measured the various things, I could say, "OK, Lord, have mercy." But then He mentioned one thing that my heart rejected. In my own understanding, I had never turned into that. He said, "If your life is full of fornication." And everything in me said, "Oh, no. That cannot be." I said it in my heart, and the voice stopped. For a moment there was silence. Then He said to me, "There is no crooked word that comes out of My mouth. Do you call Me a liar? But because you don't even know your own heart, I will show it to you. Remember this day when you were in this place at this hour?"

Brothers and sisters, I didn't even remember. I practically saw myself back in that very moment—not as a memory, but as a reality. I was back in that moment. I saw myself sitting in the taxi waiting for the taxi car to be filled. Then I was looking out at some lady with all kinds of filthy imaginations. The moment it came back, I thought, "Oh, God, I have sinned against You." He said, "No, you haven't sinned. You live in sin. You live in that. You live from morning to evening in such imaginations. Even in your bed at night you indulge in the same. I know every moment of your private life. I know your thoughts. You don't even fear, even sitting in church. Someone steps up on the platform to serve Me and you strip them naked in your imagination. You imagine all kinds of things. I am the Lord who examines the heart. Have you not read that he who even looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her (Matt. 5:28)?" Pictures began to pass before me of how my imagination works.

This isn't something of which I could say, "Lord, I fell in sin. Lord, I was weak." It was my way of life. It was my constant way of life. I was comfortable in it. I was comfortable that no one else could see it, but God was saying, "I see it. I am the Lord who examines the heart." I was so ashamed, but then He said, "That's not the worst of all. You still live in this." He began to mention things that appear humanly small: the envy, the manipulation and undercutting of one another so that you remain appearing the best, so that you appear to do the best, to preach the best, to work more miracles, to be more anointed; all the manipulation and self-promotions, all the grudges we hold in our hearts when we see someone else being promoted or recognized before us.

The way the Lord brought it up, it was so filthy. I cried and cried, and at some point I was so intent on my grief. Then He raised His voice and said, "Keep quiet and listen." "I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS!" I kept quiet, and He went on and on and on, unveiling more and more things. Even the things which appear so small, at that moment appeared so rotten. I felt like I was standing before the judgment seat with everything being thrown out. I wanted to say, "Stop, stop, I accept it all," but He wasn't stopping. At some point I was just saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said, "Keep quiet." I wasn't speaking loudly; I was speaking in my heart. He said, "Keep quiet and listen."

As He continued I thought, "I must have been deceived. All along I thought I was serving God and yet I'm so filthy inside. I must have been deceived. The devil must have taken my life captive a long time ago." At that moment I thought of the miracles we were witnessing. I thought of the healings. I thought of all those wonderful things, and suddenly my heart sunk. I thought, "The devil has so deceived me that he could even use me to produce counterfeit miracles; to produce things I thought God was working—and yet it was the devil all along."The voice kept quiet for a moment, and then He said to me, "Why are you imagining such thoughts? I don't do miracles because you're worthy. I do miracles because I love My people before whom you stand to preach. Have you never read of how they will come to Me on that day and say, 'Lord, Lord, in Your name we worked miracles, cast out demons, and prophesied'? Then I will say to them, 'Get out of My sight, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you'" (Matt. 7:21–23, paraphrased). He said, "Don't depend on the miracles to assess your worthiness. Your worthiness isn't in the signs and wonders you witness in ministry. I do miracles because I love the people, and My name shall never be left without witness on earth." He said, "Have you not ever read that without holiness, no one will see God (Heb. 12:14)? It's not the miracles; it's the holiness that comes from God." He spoke to me the Scripture in the book of Hebrews.

Here's the full-length sermon he delivered at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City—possibly one of the most powerful sermons ever:

Do we need to confess our sins as believers? Should we be sin-conscious?

Yes and yes.

False-grace teachers would say that it's not necessary to confess sins because there is no sin in us. God's grace has eradicated it.

Folks, let me be very, very clear: that is a heretical teaching that absolutely puts people at risk of hell.

1 John 1:8-9—If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness

Life Application Bible Notes:

Being God's people does not mean denying sin (1:8), but confessing it. Because all people are sinners, Jesus had to die. Because sin is not completely eradicated from the lives of those who believe in Jesus, God graciously gave his followers provision for the problem of sin.

It's not only critical, but it's wonderful to live in a state of continual repentance! God's love for us is so amazing, that running away from sin and to Him is awe inspiring!

As we daily allow God to search our hearts and reveal issues that are barriers to his love fully impacting us, the freedom and resulting life is amazing!

I often hear people say that Christians shouldn't be sin-conscious. Not only is that not biblical, it does us a disservice. Ignoring sin doesn't disarm it; it empowers it! Allow God to reveal the darkness and set us free!

2 Corinthians 7:1—Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God

We must remain diligent regarding sin. As we grow in grace and knowledge we will have the strength to remain stable.

2 Peter 3:14—Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these things, be diligent that you may be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless

2 Peter 3:17-18—You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own firm footing, being led away by the deception of the wicked. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both now and forever. Amen

Click here for parts one and two of this article. Coming Wednesday: Five Marks of the False Grace Message.

John Burtonhas been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought-out teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. John has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. Additionally, he planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer and revival-focused ministry school in Detroit called the Lab University. John's mandate is to call the church in the nations to repentance from casual Christianity and to burn in a manner worthy of the King of kings. He is equipping people to confront the enemies of God (established religion, Jezebel, etc.) that hinder an extreme, sold out level of true worship.

Back in the 70s my boys watched Sesame Street, and we'd sing this song together: "One of these things is not like the others; one of these things just doesn't belong." They learned early on to recognize incongruous things.

A snowman on a beach. A baseball player pitching an avocado. A kitty cat in the middle of a lineup of meerkats. A cake mix box in the middle of a row of cookbooks. And I love this phrase about incongruity made famous by a politician: A pig wearing lipstick!

Incongruity in the Christian Life

Congruous means "what is suitable or proper." Congruous things make sense together. When something is incongruous, we might say it is "not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings" or other aspects of something. Incongruity is a key element in good humor, but it's not such a good thing in life. I thought of the word "incongruous" as I read some familiar Scriptures.

Romans 6:2 says: "How can we who died to sin still live in it?" This entire chapter reminds the believer that we no longer need to obey our passions and impulses to sin. We are to consider ourselves "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (v. 11).

It was incongruous to Paul that a Christian should "continue in sin that grace may abound" (v. 1), present their bodies to unrighteousness (v. 13), or live as slaves to sin (vv. 17–18).

Yes, there is an ongoing struggle with the presence of sin (Rom. 7:15–23), but the power of sin over us is broken (v. 25) because Christ has redeemed us. We have life in the Spirit (Rom. 8:1–11) and are heirs with Christ (8:12–17).

Our reality is, we are headed for glory with Him (8:18). We are "conquerors (overcomers) through him who loved us" (8:37) and will never be separated from God's love in Christ (8:38–39). These are powerful truths!

Becoming Strong in the Lord

That's why I'm grieved by Christians' light-hearted attitude toward sin today. And I grieve that I accept my own sinning so easily. While it's true that I rest in the grace and mercy of God, why do I keep on trying to justify my sins? Where is my fight for daily holiness?

Wimpy theology makes wimpy women.

I will never forget John Piper's words at a True Woman conference when he reminded us we are not called to be "wimpy" women, but strong! "Wimpy theology makes wimpy women," he said. We must be careful to get our theology straight, but even that's not enough. We must be sure we're living in (acting on) biblical truth!

We get wimpy when we forget we are foot-soldiers in the Lord's army, obliged to obey His every command. We need to remember the battle we're in. So, how do we get ready for battle?

We must take up our battle armor, and put on every piece. (Eph. 6:11–13)

The world needs to see Jesus' life demonstrated in our day-to-day circumstances. Too often, all people see are sinning saints . . . weak warriors. This should not be. The Holy One calls us to holiness (1 Peter 1:15–17a; Lev. 11:44–45). And Jesus' victory is ours.

We won't be perfect until we get to heaven, but that's not an excuse to continue in disobedience. We have hundreds of opportunities to decide for God every day, and we need to stay engaged—confessing and repenting of sin, and learning to walk in the Spirit.

The battle is the Lord's, but we must not slink away from the battlefield. What could be more incongruous than a soldier sitting out the biggest battle of his life, fiddling with lesser things, and failing to obey his Commander's instructions?

Let's recommit to taking those four steps. We are more than conquerors in Christ!

Where is your life a picture of incongruous living?

Taken from Dawn Wilson'sblog post, "Are We Christians Who Don't Make Sense?"truewoman.com. Used with permission.

Author note: The need to address revival and the vital role of the Holy Spirit is as relevant today as it has been throughout church history. This article is the first part in a series where principles unfold throughout. It's my hope that readers consider the entire series before drawing conclusions.

The key is to find the biblical balance: "The true saints of God, who have clear heads, and pure, warm hearts, have in all generations had to walk between the two extremes of cold formality on the one side, and wild, ranting fanaticism on the other. Dead formality and the false fire of fanaticism are both Satan's counterfeits, and he does not care into which extreme the soul plunges..." (George D. Watson).

Watson masterfully describes how God's Spirit can be suppressed or misrepresented. To clarify, the Holy Spirit is not some weird, mystical force. He is part of the triune nature of God. The Bible says that the Spirit intercedes, leads, guides, teaches, and so on (cf. Romans 8:26; Acts 8:29; John 16:13). He enables and empowers us to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and to boldly live for Christ. God's Word becomes living and active in the life of the believer who is continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Charles Spurgeon adds, "What can a hammer do without the hand that grasps it, and what can we do without the Spirit of God?"

I was disheartened over a year ago when I attended a conference about the Holy Spirit in Southern California. Men I look up to were trivializing and mocking deep spiritual experiences that authors such as E.M. Bounds often write about.

E.M. Bounds, who was born in 1835, began his three-hour prayer routine at 4 a.m. To him, prayer was not a short prelude, but an empowering priority. Edward Payson, who ministered during the Second Great Awakening, was said to have worn grooves into his hardwood floor as a result of prayer. It was said of John Hyde who left for the mission field in 1892 that he would stay on his face before God until the answer came. It was not uncommon for the great Scottish preacher, John Welch, who died in 1622, to spend four to six hours in prayer. John Fletcher, one of the leaders of the Methodist movement, stained the walls of his room with the breath of his prayers until his death in 1785.

Why mock these types of experiences? Is it because most have never experienced the over-whelming power and presence of the Spirit? Should we not pursue the deeper life? After all, "When faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live" (E.M. Bounds). Would be to God that more men and women sought God with all their heart. America might actually experience revival.

By age 28, my life was filled with what the world offered, but I was empty inside. I was at a turning point. I could choose to turn fully to God and stop "playing church", or continue to reject Him. By God's grace, the prodigal came home...I repented and put my complete trust in Christ.

Although far from perfect, God radically transformed and redirected my life through the power of the Holy Spirit. He can do the same for you. Acts 1:8 identifies this experience: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me ..." The power of the Holy Spirit is like dynamite that ignites a hunger for God so intense that every aspect of life is changed—we become bold not passive; stable not fanatical; and committed not wavering.

Within the months that followed, I truly experienced the infilling of the Spirit that is seen throughout the Scriptures (e.g., a transformed life resulting in a love for God and His Word). From this experience, came books, articles, speaking engagements, and ultimately, a church.

I, like many Christians, tend to be "safely" conservative when considering the power of the Holy Spirit; however, Scripture clearly supports the miraculous work of the Spirit today. I'm open but cautious. We need sound doctrine and the power of the Holy Spirit. It's possible to be "Bible taught," but not "Spirit led"—straight as a gun barrel theologically, but just as empty. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:6).

Don't get me wrong, theological and expositional teachings are essential to Christian living, but how often are theology students encouraged to fast and pray as well as study? How often are they taught brokenness and repentance in addition to translating the Greek language? How often are they taught the surrendered life? We can sometimes be more concerned about a Master's Degree than a degree from the Master.

The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures and empowered Jesus and the Apostles. We are desperately remiss if we fail to recognize His vital role in our lives. I agree with Leonard Ravenhill, "We need to close every church in the land for one Sunday and cease listening to a man so we can hear the groan of the Spirit which we in our lush pews have forgotten."

What to know more about the next great move of God? Click here to see Jennifer LeClaire's new book, featuring Dutch Sheets, Reinhard Bonnke, Jonathan Cahn, Billy Graham and others.

Shane Idlemanis the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California, just North of Los Angeles. He just released his 7th book, Desperate for More of God. Shane's sermons, articles, books and radio program can all be found at wcfav.org, Follow him on Facebook.

If we watch the news on a regular basis, it's impossible to miss the strong attraction America has to stories featuring mayhem. The cliche: "If it bleeds, it leads" may be a huge generalization. But, too often, it seems to be the playbook by which news events are filtered. The fact is: Assault, murder, terrorism, and war always grab the headlines.

Video games have become more graphic and more personal; movies and television depict gruesome images designed to grab our attention. Even the Internet thinks nothing of making stonings, beheadings, and the aftermath of terrorist attacks instantly accessible. Even sports broadcasts tend to glorify the gore, "I think he snapped his elbow on that play, Sam; let's play it again (10 times) in slow motion so we can see the actual point where the bones separate..." Really?

Understanding this, how do we help our children understand how wrong violence is... while at the same time respecting our military, staying committed to protecting the innocent, and valuing the importance of self-defense?

Check out the following 4 conversations dads must have with their kids about violence:

1. Talk about right and wrong from a firm vantage point. Every value system must have clear reference points from which to draw conclusions. [Tweet This] Teach your children personal faith; make sure they understand key provisions in the Constitution; and be the kind of consistent role model where they can anchor their beliefs and understand right and wrong in the context of a stable family.

2. Violence is NOT entertaining. Talk with your children about entertainment. Take a strong stand against the idea that there is any entertainment value in anyone else's pain. Make sure they understand the difference between fights that move the plot along and violence that is simply gratuitous.

3. Discuss advocating on behalf of victims. Part of being a man is defending the oppressed, the minority, and the underdog. If violence is not entertainment and, if being "manly" means standing up for the oppressed, we must talk with our children about defending those who are bullied and standing against persecutions such as sexism, racism, and homophobia (Read about Jeff Foxworthy's Heart for the Underdog).

4. Have a conversation about world politics and why war is sometimes the only appropriate response. Build on the idea that strong people stand up for victims. Mention Hitler and WWII and explain why America had to intervene. Don't be afraid to field hard questions from the kids. Make sure they understand that good government always has to ask itself hard questions, Try refrain from being politically partisan.

Sound Off: Is this a hard topic for you to wrap your head around? What is helpful in your family?

Huddle up with your kids tonight and ask, "What is the difference between right and wrong?"

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul is sending a blessing and an admonition to believers: "May the very God of peace sanctify you completely. And I pray to God that your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."(MEV). He is admonishing believers that we are responsible for the care of our bodies, as well as our spirit and soul.

The world sees a body; God sees a temple. "What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God, and you are not your own? You were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:19-20, MEV).

For years I fought the battle of the bulge, riding the roller coaster of emotions that accompany this battle. I did not understand the cravings for food that led me to poor eating habits causing the relentless urges, short-term satisfaction and long-term guilt.

The guilt brought shame, anxiety and weight gain. The consumption of a poor diet doesn't just affect our taste buds and waistline, but over time it will rewire our brain. Pleasure and reward, entwined with our emotions, make a powerful force that is hard to break.

One day I saw five words that changed my life. "The devil wants you fat!" Those five words brought reality to my life. This is a spiritual battle! The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy! (John 10:10). I was playing right into his hands. Life was being drained from me; spirit, soul and body, one bite at a time.

I hate the devil. I had seen the destruction he had done in family and friends with alcohol and drugs. Now, I had to face the truth. My poor food choices had made me addicted to certain foods.

I repented and cast my weight cares onto the Lord. No longer would I look to the world to solve this problem. You cannot fix a spiritual problem by natural means. The eyes of my understanding had been opened. A lack of knowledge of how my body functions and the necessary nutrition to preserve my body blameless had brought me into a life of addiction.

After I repented and asked the Lord for His help, He gave me a battle plan that took 88 pounds from my body. It didn't happen overnight, and I'm still walking day by day to please the Lord with my body. Nothing tastes as good as obedience. Romans 14:17 (MEV) tells us, "For the kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Cast your weight cares on God; and give Him the opportunity to lead you in the path of righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.

Those of us who are saved by the grace of God should take heed to 1 Corinthians 10:31 (MEV) which states, "Therefore, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God." Our blamelessness reflects on the name of the Lord. God is not looking for perfect people, but are you attempting to live blameless?

Rest and relax; time is your most valuable asset. Investing a small amount of time over a period of time will bring increase in areas that matter most: preserving yourself blameless—spirit, soul and body. You can look and feel better than you have in years when you are willing to invest your time pleasing the Father and walking in obedience to His Word.

What joy to realize that the power to change lies in the hand of the very One who created you! The battle is not yours, my friend, it never was, so "...let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1, MEV).

I haven't arrived, but I have left and God isn't finished with me! "But none of these things deter me. Nor do I count my life of value to myself, so that I may joyfully finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24, MEV).

My testimony of His grace is in my book, Why Diets Don't Work—Food Is Not the Problem. I pray that this testimony will give you courage as you fight the good fight of faith! A workbook is also available, designed for personal or group study. Be blessed as you walk the runway of life.

Joyce Tilney, Founder of Women of God Ministries, teaching women today from women of yesterday, is an author and teacher. She is available for Bible Studies or speaking engagements to bring healing to wounded hearts that have kept us from enjoying the abundant life that has been provided for us. For information visit the websites: whydiets.com and wogministries.com.

One of my favorite verses is Philippians 3:10. Here Paul is in prison, yet instead of asking God to rescue him from prison he says:

"... to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death: if somehow I might make it to the resurrection of the dead."

Most people read the first part of that verse and stop. But in order to receive resurrection power, you must first die. No one has ever been raised from the dead that wasn't dead first.

We embrace this death—entering into His sufferings—by suffering for the gospel. Here are five spiritual benefits of suffering:

1. With suffering comes intimacy. There is a level of intimacy with Yeshua that can only be obtained through suffering. Paul equates knowing the Messiah with participating in His suffering.

2. Yeshua invites us to suffer with Him. When I went through a particularly painful event many years ago—so painful, I thought I was finished in ministry—I heard the voice of the Lord. I knew I could defend myself and many encouraged me to do so. But Yeshua's word to me was, "I am inviting you to die with me." The minute I said yes, peace entered my soul and I knew he would vindicate me. And he did within just a few months. I would have short-circuited His intervention had I defended myself.

3. Suffering brings maturity. In Bible College we had a young 'prophet' come and minister. He was 18 and clearly anointed, but our director warned us that only the years bring wisdom. He was exposed as a homosexual a few years later. Joseph as a teen had a prophetic gift, but he was too immature to use it. By blabbing to his brothers he ended up as a slave—then a prisoner. After many years and trials he was finally mature enough for the calling. His suffering prepared him. In a span of a few hours he became the most powerful man on earth.

4. The greater the call, the greater the suffering. King David received the call to be King as a boy. And for a while things progressed as if it could happen any minute: Invited to play harp for Saul, kills Goliath, becomes a general and even gets a promise from the rightful heir, Jonathan, that David would be king in his place. And then suddenly the king wants to kill him. For more than a decade he suffered as he ran from Saul. But in the end, this all served to prepare him. The older, more mature David had two chances to kill Saul, but wouldn't. He had grown and shortly thereafter became king.

5. From death comes life. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:10-12 that when we embrace death for the gospel, it will produce life in our hearers. All the suffering He endured for the gospel released a powerful anointing in his efforts to preach the Good News.

We lived a year in Ukraine not long after the revolution. We battled an apartment full of fleas, a bathroom that spewed out sewage through our floor every night and threats from the Mafia. It was hard! But in the end, we left behind a new congregation that has flourished until this day.

While suffering isn't meant to be fun, there is simply no other way to be all that God has called you to be.

Ron Cantor is the director of Messiah's Mandate International in Israel, a Messianic ministry dedicated to taking the message of Jesus from Israel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Cantor also travels internationally teaching on the Jewish roots of the New Testament. He serves on the pastoral team of Tiferet Yeshua, a Hebrew-speaking congregation in Tel Aviv. His newest book is Identity Theft. Follow him at @RonSCantor on Twitter.

Although no one can see the Lord and live, God passed by the prophet Elijah as he waited silently in a cave. Before God appeared to him, a number of powerful things preceded Him--a great wind, an earthquake and a fire (see 1 Kin. 19:3-13).

Interestingly, the Bible says that the Lord was not in these things, but He was in the "gentle blowing," a very special place requiring silence before God (v. 12, NASB). He speaks to us in a still, small voice.

When we become quiet before God, we are able to receive the revelation of His presence that Elijah received. We can also receive direction, correction and new instruction.

Elijah was surrounded by spiritual warfare and demonic activity. In moments such as these it's more important than ever to be silent in order to receive clear direction.

One of the characteristics of an intimate walk with God is greater rest and peace and a realization that God does the battling on your behalf. If you'll take time to silence yourself before God, He not only will give you direction but also will remind you that He's taking care of it all. Silence will make you see how small you are, how big God is, and that God has everything under control.

...Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12:5

It's Friday, February 27th. My husband is back in the hospital, and I am snowed in at home. Yesterday I listened to the cracking of tree branches as they broke off and hit my roof. At times the impact was so strong that the entire house shook and the dog went into a barking frenzy.

Power was lost, but the house is currently warm and relatively safe. While I'm here, I'm confident my husband is receiving the medical attention and care he requires. I know this will pass, and next week we will be back more or less to normal.

I can't help but think of women like me who are not listening to trees break and fall, but to the sudden burst of machine gun fire and the impact of bombs falling. Women who never have any electrical power. Who stay freezing cold in this very brutal winter. Who live in terror knowing neither they, nor their loved ones, are safe. Who know unless God sends a miracle, the terror will not pass and life will never return to "normal."

My thoughts are far away. In Syria. And Northern Iraq. In the jungles of Nigeria. And on the beach in Libya. I am grieving for the people whose loved ones are being kidnapped, butchered, tortured, beheaded, or even worse. I am in awe of the triumphant faith displayed by Christians in the face of such atrocities.

My compulsion to pray was intensified when I received the following email from a friend whose ministry has planted hundreds of churches in the region now threatened by ISIS. It was written by one of his Syrian leaders, who lives and works in the area where ISIS just kidnapped over 100 Christians. The leader is asking my friend to relay the urgent need for prayer. It's my privilege to relay this on to you...

Peace to you in Jesus' name.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters. ISIS today kidnapped many Christians from one village and now they try to enter another village to take more Christians from there. Please, please we have ministry there! We have brothers and sisters there!

ISIS has started to kidnap and kill the Christians in that area. We have very bad situation now as a Christian, we have nothing to do just we can pray and ask you for you to pray with us.

When you read this email maybe in the same time many Christian people are killed from ISIS.

WE ARE READY TO GO TO JESUS NOW.

Yes we need your prayers with us and our families here.

God be with you.

Pray with me...

Father of mercy and God of grace,

God of justice and God of righteousness,

You are holy and true. You are in charge. You are the All-Mighty God of Creation, Lord of the Universe. We praise You as the One, True, Living God who is fully revealed in Jesus Christ.

Salvation belongs to You, our God, who sits on the throne...and to The Lamb. We look to You, our Help in ages past. Our Hope for years to come.

We praise You for Your Light that has penetrated the darkness of evil and hatred through the unwavering witness of Your children. Thank You for giving them the strength and courage to die with Your name on their lips. They have not loved their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore we rejoice with those in Heaven who stood to welcome them Home.

But we cannot overlook the atrocities. So we look to You now, great Lion of Judah. Savior of the world. Redeemer of mankind. You are the Risen Lord and soon to return King of kings. We boldly ask for You to intervene. Come down in power. Stop this madness. Return to their families those who have been kidnapped. Rend the hearts, break the wills, confuse the minds, destroy the unity of the kidnappers. Restore peace in the villages and countryside.

Please, Father God, look with favor on Your people. Open Your eyes to their suffering and Your ears to their cries. Protect them. Deliver them. Save them. They are being persecuted because of their identity with You and with Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We ask this for Your own name's sake. If they continue to be kidnapped and killed, will this not defame Your name? Will not the nations of the world think the god of ISIS is greater than You are?

Hear our prayer. Act for the sake of Your own great name.

For Your glory,

Amen

When the church in Acts prayed for the apostle Peter who had been arrested and imprisoned by the enemy, he was miraculously set free.

So...keep praying for the imprisoned. The kidnapped. The persecuted followers of Jesus.

I never once thought my life would go the direction did a few years ago. I once had no reason to fear having to face a disease such as cancer, particularly since I knew of no major history of it in my family. And yet for more than eight years I fought a grueling battle against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Prayer was always been my first weapon, though I have sought input and treatment along the way from as many sources as possible. I endured dozens of treatments, had some amazing God encounters, and was pronounced clear and free of cancer at least three times—only to find it return in a different region of my body.

But to be completely transparent, I'm not sure even my own bout with cancer prepared me for the degree of loss I faced in almost every area of life and ministry in recent years.

Suffering Times Two

Shortly after I began fighting for my own life, my dear wife of 32 years, Michal Ann Goll, discovered she had colon cancer. After having her entire colon removed one Christmas, we had great hopes of her conquering this beast and we were believing the Lord for new body parts. She was relentless in her pursuit of healing and wholeness and, in my opinion, fought harder than I ever did. Yet her cancer continued to spread to several other organ systems.

Despite this, Michal Ann never lost her smile, she never let one negative word be echoed in her midst, and she loved God through every moment. She was devoted to the Word of God, lived a hidden life of prayer and was fearless in the face of the enemy.

Together we fought hard. We prayed, fasted, declared Scripture, praised the Lord, took communion, were committed to the local church, were properly aligned with apostolic authority, continued to believe in the supernatural ... and on and on. We'd experienced miracles several times before and had seen every gift of the Holy Spirit flow through our own lives into the lives of others around the world. We were desperate and did everything we knew to come out on the other side victorious. We made sure to identify and shut every generational door that might have been jarred even a little bit.

And yet the battle raged on.

We took an integrated approach the entire time—and I still do to this day. We brought together the best of many healing streams. We received counsel from the best and intensive prayer from those who move extraordinarily in the gifts of healings and working of miracles today. We combined the very best of alternative and traditional medicine with nutritional understandings, soaking worship and high praise. We had hands laid on us by the elders of the city, were interceded for by the global prayer movement and extended forgiveness wherever needed.

And yet the battle raged on.

We were faithful in our marriage covenant and faithful to the Lord. I'm not saying we were perfect. I am not perfect. I stand by grace in faith in the finished work of Calvary, as every believer does. But I do know Michal Ann and I did everything we could, and we trusted in God to do what we could not.

And yet the battle raged on.

The result of our fight? On Sept. 15, 2008, after four years of warring against cancer, my dear wife moved on to a great eternal realm called heaven. Thank God for heaven! We are only separated for a short time.

Still, it's perplexing to say the least why I made it and she did not. Michal Ann was an amazing champion for the Lord. My kids and I greatly miss her to this day.

Adding Salt to My Wounds

Losing my wife was hard enough. Yet in the midst of my grieving—and while still fighting my own battle with cancer—I received another blow.

Financial hits to both my personal and ministerial life left me almost drained. Within a short time, I lost three-fourths of my monthly donor base funding our global ministry. Due to medical expenses not covered by insurance and other unforeseen complications, I ended up with a massive amount of accumulated debt. Prior to this, I had paid every bill on time and had a great credit history.

As the bills piled up, my fight against cancer continued as I used every means possible to win. On Oct. 7, 2009, I finally received news that the 3½-by-2½-inch cancerous growth close to my stomach had melted and that every cancer cell advancing in my body was eradicated. Praise the Lord! I thank God for my second chance in life and declare that the cancer will not return again.

I am not alone in my journey. Some of you have been there as well in recent days. We have been enduring seasons of storms. And for many of us, these seasons have ushered us into times of severe questioning.

The Questions Come

What did I do to deserve all of this? This was one of the most prominent thoughts ringing in my head during the storms of this last decade. After all, I'd walked with the Lord every day of life since youth. Jesus has been my closest friend and companion through all my 58 years. I had been in full-time vocational ministry since I graduated from college in 1974. I had been true to the light given me and never backed away from the progressive truths as an ambassador of Christ. Why me? Why my family?

At times I felt like Job. I became acquainted with some of his well-meaning friends, each of whom gave me frequent input on the reasons why we were incurring such difficulties. It was supposedly because we prayed wrongly against some power of darkness or didn't have enough faith. Some chided that I must have been ignorant of God's Word concerning healing, while others reasoned that we were encountering such difficulties because we took a stand for Israel. Still others said it was because we had hidden sin, and if we would only bring it to the light the circumstances would end. A few acquaintances even claimed my suffering was because I wasn't a vegan.

People gave us every lotion, potion and natural remedy under the sun. I finally had to come to the conclusion that they cared for us and merely wanted us fixed. Yet the truth was, I wanted our situation fixed more than they did. As a result, I had to learn to love these well-meaning people while maintaining my personal convictions and my consecration and devotion to Jesus. The culmination of my trials and others' unsolicited input gave me the opportunity to trust the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding (see Prov. 3:5).

Lessons Learned

If I had to do it all over again, there is little I would change in the approach Michal Ann and I took. Of all things, I would have sat more on my southern front porch with my Annie, quietly drinking green tea in our rocking chairs, enjoying God and nature. Just being. Resting. Enjoying. I learned from my oncologist that every day we have is a gift from God.

And so I am left with today—for which I am truly grateful. I don't take it for granted, nor do I want to ignore the pain endured through these past storms. I am yet a work in progress. I'm still leaning in upon my beloved Jesus and learning more each day. But I know I can at least share with you some basic practical concepts that have been anchors in my life along the way. Here are a few.

1. God is good—all the time!This is at the top of my list on purpose. I believe and declare loudly, "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works" (Ps. 145:9, NKJV). If you want to be an overcomer in any area of life, you must have this foundational truth in place. Everything else hinges on this one truth! Always remember, Jesus "went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil" (Acts 10:38). He is "the same yesterday and today and forever," and He is always going about doing good (Heb. 13:8)!

2. All things work together for good.I hang my hat on this belief system. Romans 8:28 uncompromisingly declares: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." That verse isn't for some generic person "out there"; it's for me and for you! Note that the verse doesn't say "everything is good" or that "God causes everything." Yet somehow in the great majesty of who He is, God takes even our failures, temporary disappointments and messed up circumstances and, when we are yielded to Him, He reconfigures them to work together for good. That is the Jesus I know dearly.

3. Keep your expectations high.Just because I haven't seen every person get healed does not mean I will stop praying for the sick. I won't stop declaring the good news of the gospel of the kingdom just because not everyone will be saved. Don't doubt in times of darkness what has been revealed in the light. Don't lower your theological bar to match temporary setbacks. Press on. Keep your expectations high and on God. Keep on believing!

4. Rely on a trusted community of believers.I am so grateful for the body of Christ. Some of you have walked with my family and me through our dark night of the soul. I need God, and I also need you. The second part of 1 John 5:4 says: "And this is the victory that overcomes the world—our faith." It doesn't say "my faith"; it says "our faith." We need each other. Sometimes we just need the body of Christ—Jesus with flesh on. Be a committed part of the community of believers called the church.

5. Be open to change.This has been one of the hardest lessons for me during the last decade. I love consistency and stability. But to make it through to the other side you have to be flexible in the hands of the master potter. You must learn to recalibrate, adjust and understand that change is not your enemy; it is good. To help cut my monthly budget, I had to move out of my ministry center and into a set of small offices. I didn't like it at first, but I knew it was good. The truth is, whether we embrace it or not, things will change. To transition more smoothly, we must be open to new things, new revelations, new places and even new connections.

6. Fear not! Renounce fear—be delivered from it. Get whatever cleansing is needed, because what you fear will come upon you. Fear is not your friend. Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear paralyzes you, while faith propels you. Doubt your doubts and trust your dreams. Fear not! He is with you, beside you and in you. And as 1 John 4:4 says, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

7. Never, never, never, never give up.I carry a card in my Bible. On the outside cover it reads, "Never, never, never, never give up." And on the inside are these words: "I will never, never, never, never quit cheering for you." These were my dear wife's last words to me and our four kids. It was her last prophetic statement to the body of Christ. Jesus is our dread champion! As you press on in life, put your hand to the plow and don't look over your shoulder (see Luke 9:62). Keep looking straight ahead. God is not finished with you yet. He who began a good work in you will complete it (see Phil. 1:6).

8. You are not a victim; you are a victor!We must engraft this truth into our souls. At one of my low points, one of my kids lovingly got in my face and said something like: "Dad, you've got to rise above this. Trauma happens in life, but you must not be its victim." I am here to tell you I am a victor in Christ Jesus, and so are you! Jesus always leads us into a triumphant processional: "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place" (2 Cor. 2:14, NASB). You are not a victim; you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus!

Let me re-emphasize, I am still a work in progress. My journey—pain and all—is still being walked out. But I pray that you can benefit from the lessons I am learning in the process of becoming. I have lived an amazing life and am so grateful that I have been given a second chance in life. I pray that whatever season of life you are in, you will cling as I have to the truth of Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." And when you have done all ... stand!

James W. Gollis the co-founder of Encounters Network and director of PrayerStorm. He also coordinates a coalition of leaders called Encounters Alliance. Author of The Beginner's Guide to Signs, Wonders and the Supernatural Life, Goll has shared Jesus in more than 40 nations worldwide teaching and imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry and life in the Spirit. For more information, visit encountersnetwork.com.

As we grow in prayer, we experience more of the love that has burned in God's heart from eternity past. The ultimate reality of the kingdom is the burning love that has existed within the fellowship of the three persons of the Trinity from before the creation of the world.

God is love. His very being is wholehearted love (1 John 4:16). In other words, the essence of how God thinks and feels flows from His heart of unwavering, passionate, infinite, wholehearted love. There is a perpetual "volcanic explosion" of intense love among the three persons of the Trinity.

The Father, Son, and Spirit are each fully satisfied in the fellowship of the Trinity. But the joy of love compelled the triune God to create beings who could share their love. Love demands expression; thus, it must be shared and multiplied. God wanted others to experience the joy of the Trinity's perfect love.

Love is the foundation of our relationship with God, the essence of salvation, and the key to understanding how to pray. The call to participate in the fellowship of the burning heart that exists in the relationship among the persons of the Godhead is the cornerstone of the call to prayer.

One foundational premise in Scripture is that God loves us with the same intensity with which God loves God. Impossible as it seems to us weak and sinful mortals, it's true. Jesus declared to His disciples (and by extension, to us), "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love" (John 15:9).

The love burning in God's heart has at least five expressions. First, God loves God—the Father, Son, and Spirit love each other with fiery love. Second, God loves His people with all His heart and strength. Third, our love for God springs from His love imparted to us. Fourth, God's people love themselves in God's love and for God's sake. Finally, God's people love one another in the overflow of the love that we receive from God. Together these five expressions of love constitute what I call "the fellowship of the burning heart." We are invited to enter into the relationship of burning love that is shared within the fellowship of the Trinity. What a glorious destiny! This radically changes how we view our lives and how we understand salvation.

1. God's love for God. The first expression of perfect love is found in the relationships within the Trinity. The Son loves the Father (John 14:31), and the Father loves the Son

(John 3:35; 5:20; 15:9; 17:23). Each person of the Trinity loves the others with

all their heart, mind, and strength.

I fully embrace the truth of the Trinity as commonly taught throughout church history. There is one God who forever dwells in three distinct, divine persons. They are coequal in that the Father, Son, and Spirit each fully possess all God's attributes, while they differ in function and authority in work.

The way God loves within the Trinity is the same way—the only way—He loves us. He cannot love partially; He always loves in fullness and wholeheartedly. His love neither diminishes nor grows because it is infinite in measure and eternal in duration. He never loves us with just part of His love—that would be to deny His own character.

2. God's love for His people. It is a cause for much rejoicing that God's love does not end with Him but is poured out on and imparted to human beings. Jesus loves the redeemed with the same intensity of love with which the Father loves Him: "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love" (John 15:9). The Father loves the redeemed with this same intense love, as we see from Jesus's prayer to Him "that the world may know that You . . . have loved them as You have loved Me" (John 17:23).

3. Our love for God. The Pharisees sought to trick Jesus with a question. One day, in response to their question about which was the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus implied that wholehearted love for God was to be the first priority in our lives: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment" (Matt. 22:37–38). We see from these verses that the Holy Spirit's first agenda is to establish the first commandment in first place in us. This is the highest priority of God's activity in His kingdom. It is the first call for every believer.

4. Our love for ourselves. The redeemed are to love themselves in God's love and for God's sake. We love ourselves through the lens of the revelation of Jesus, His cross, and our great worth to Him.

In His reply to the Pharisees about the greatest commandment, Jesus told them that the second commandment was like the first: "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself '" (Matt. 22:39). Clearly we must love ourselves in order to fulfill this command. In fact, we will never love others more than we love ourselves in the grace of God. The task is made easier when we are able to see ourselves as God sees us.

5. Our love for others. If we receive God's love and love Him in return, then it is only a matter of time before we will begin loving people more deeply. The same love that burns within the fellowship of the Trinity will flow from us toward others. We are to love others in the overflow of God's very own love. Jesus Himself gave us the command to "love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12). Our loving others as Jesus loves us is a dynamic expression of the fellowship of the burning heart.

The Lord wants us to enter into how He feels about others because He knows having His heart will change the way we see people and how we respond to them. We can love even fellow believers who mistreat us because God loves them just as He loves us (John 15:9). We will delight in one another in the same way in which God loves and delights in all His people. Moreover we will be empowered to extend our love for others beyond the people who enjoy the same things we do, beyond those who are popular, and beyond those who are powerful and can enhance our status. We will love all God's people with His love.

Understanding the five expressions of God's love will change the way we view God, ourselves, and other people and will help us to pray more effectively. Our goal should be to pray effective prayers that allow us to partner with God in bringing His kingdom to Earth.

Mike Bickleis the director of the International House of Prayer of Kansas City and the founder of International House of Prayer University, a four-year ministry school. He is the author of several books, including Passion for Jesus, Growing in the Prophetic, The Pleasures of Loving God and After God's Own Heart.

Note: This is the second in a series of articles by John Burton on understanding the threat of sin in the life of Christians. For part one, click here.

"And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" (1 Peter 4:18 ).

With the emergence of the false-grace, or what I prefer to call unbiblical grace, teachings, the thought of worshiping, tithing, praying, Bible reading Christians who have great families and seem to be the model of righteousness going to Hell seems ridiculous.

I believe this is one of the most important passages of Scripture in today's false-grace generation:

"For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:26-31).

This means that tongue-talking, hand-lifting pastors, for example, can go to Hell if they struggle with lust. People that refuse to forgive another are at risk of Hell. If we continue in sin the Bible is clear—there remains no sacrifice for those sins. There are supposed minor sins such as gossip, lust, rebellion to authority, lying and others that seem to fly below our radar—but not God's. We can't continue in so-called minor sins and presume all to be well. We will experience judgment in this life and in the next if we do not repent. This brings the sweet little lady who's known as the church gossip into the light—and a terrifying light it is.

Have you ever met someone who has lived with unforgiveness in their heart? What about someone who is into pornography? It's horrifying to think this, but those very people, even if they are amazing in every other way, are very possibly unsaved right now. Barna recently reported that 97 percent of born again Christian men are into pornography, and 84 percent of Christian women are viewing pornography.

Is it any wonder Leonard Ravenhill famously said that he doubts that 5 percent of professing born again Christians in America are truly saved?

"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation..." (Hebrews 2:1-3).

Corrie Ten Boom

Consider Corrie Ten Boom. You may have read her story in the book, The Hiding Place. She was a general in the faith as she and her family hid Jews during the Holocaust. Eventually they were discovered and were put into a concentration camp. She ministered Jesus in inhuman conditions. She was faithful in a time where all faith was lost.

Ultimately, after torture at the hands of one particular guard and countless horrors, her entire family was killed. The war ended and Corrie was released.

Shortly after Corrie was walking down the road when a man approached her. He said, "Excuse me, you were in the camp, weren't you?" Corrie affirmed that she was. He continued, "After the war I gave my life to Jesus. I prayed that he would allow me to find one person that I hurt so badly in the concentration camp." It was the guard—the one who brutally tortured and killed her family. He said, "I told God that I wanted to seek their forgiveness. Would you please forgive me?"

Corrie, in her own words, shared her reaction. She said that she simply could not forgive him. As that thought consumed her soul, God spoke to her. He said, "Corrie, if you don't forgive him, I won't forgive you." She knew, as a general in the faith, if she refused to forgive that man than she herself would die in her sins. Hell was her future. She then looked at the man who brought so much horror to her and took his hand and said, "I do forgive you."

She said the love of God shot through her hand into the former guard's.

Tragically, so many Christians today presume they are exempt from such truths in Scripture.

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15).

Daniel Ekechukwu

Daniel Ekechukwu is a Nigerian pastor who died tragically in a car accident. He was told that he would go to Hell if he wasn't raised up—because he refused to forgive his wife regarding an issue. Here's a short transcript:

"Daniel, if the book of your life was to be closed today, this would be your portion."

"No, I'm a pastor; I'm a child of God. I'm born-again—and I've preached all over ..."

"Enough, Daniel, on your way to the first hospital, you were asking God to forgive you, but you would not forgive your wife. And your sins have not been forgiven. It is a matter of reaping what you've sown. You cannot sow unforgiveness to your wife and reap forgiveness from God."

For part one of this article, click here. Coming Tuesday: The story of John Mulinde, a leader with a world ministry on every continent except Antarctica, who was told by God, "If I had come today to take My Bride, you wouldn't be part of that. I wouldn't take you."

John Burtonhas been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought out teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. John has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. Additionally, he planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer and revival focused ministry school in Detroit called theLab University. John's mandate is to call the church in the nations to repentance from casual Christianity and to burn in a manner worthy of the King of Kings. He is equipping people to confront the enemies of God (established religion, Jezebel, etc.) that hinder an extreme, sold out level of true worship.

After all of my children married and left the house, it was time to downsize. So, I sold my three-bedroom home on two large lots and moved into a nice, two-bedroom condo in a complex closer to work where the maintenance and landscaping are not my responsibility.

However, taking out the garbage is.

Instead of just dragging a can to the curb, I now have to drive my garbage around to a dumpster. It's nicely landscaped around the dumpster, but you have to park your vehicle and walk up to the dumpster, open the door and toss the garbage in. A few months ago when I was going through this ritual, the Lord talked to me about taking out the garbage.

I had tossed the bags inside of the dumpster and started walking back to my car when I realized I had not shut the door to the dumpster. I went back and shut it and it then started the crushing process. I heard the Lord say, 'You can take the garbage out but unless you close the door, nothing happens.' Then, He started downloading.

When we take the garbage out but don't shut the lid, we can smell the odor from the dumpster. Not only do we smell it, but others do as well. Also, if the door is not shut, the compacting mechanism will not engage. When it works right, the compacting mechanism crushes and changes the shape of the trash until it is no longer recognizable and ready for permanent disposal. Putting the lid back on after taking out the trash is vital.

We all have "garbage" in our lives, things we want to get rid of. This may include, but not be limited, to misplaced priorities, distractions, wrong attitudes, harmful relationships, offenses, idolatry, bad habits, and overt sin. Just tossing it out is not enough. We have to shut the lid.

If we don't, it won't get taken care of so we can reach in and pick it back up again. It's smelly to everyone that comes in contact with us, and it will remain as-is rather than being crushed and taken away for good.

If we want the garbage removed from our lives, the process is simple—be it great or small. All we have to do is those things to the Lord, shut the door and turn away. He'll do the rest. He is faithful to take all of it, make it unrecognizable and where is no scent of it on us or around us. Psalms 103:11-12 says, "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." What an amazing, wonderful Lord!

Rebecca McInnis is the office manager for Charisma Media.

Prayer Power for the Week of March 2, 2015

This week, take an inventory of what may need to be disposed of in your life; take it to the Lord and let Him eliminate it so you won't be able to go back and pick it up again. Make sure that there is no trace left and that the area is completely cleansed and sanitized. Then fill the area with the Word that cleanses and renews. Ask God to create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit within you. Continue to pray for those being persecuted and even martyred for their Christian faith. Pray for national repentance and that we, as God's people, would take the admonition to humble ourselves, pray and turn from our wicked ways so that God would hear and heal our land. Pray for revival to ignite our churches and spread throughout the nation and the world. Lift up our leaders and remember Israel as you pray for God's purposes on the earth (Psalm 51:10; Rom. 12:2; Eph. 5:26; Psalm 103:11-12).

]]>shawn.akers@charismamedia.com (Rebecca McInnis)FeaturedPower Up!BlogsSun, 01 Mar 2015 20:30:00 -0500Could This Get in the Way of God's Manifest Glory in Your Life?http://www.charismamag.com/life/women/22642-could-this-get-in-the-way-of-god-s-manifest-glory-in-your-life
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Our vacation hadn't gone as planned, and I was frustrated. Between some unexpected health trouble and a counseling emergency that would break my heart in two, I felt tired and sad. So I went to the Lord in prayer and read His Word, and the Holy Spirit worked on me.

As I continued in prayer, a refreshing breeze awakened my numbed senses, and the eyes of my heart were opened (Eph. 1:18). My desires strengthened and aligned with His, and I was floored again by the majesty of God.

How did I forget His magnetic glory?

This glimpse of glory reminds me of Ephesians 2:4–5: "But God ... even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."

Why are we content to go about life numb to spiritual realities?

Do we forget—or simply not believe—that communion with God is life changing?

Do we feel that spiritual numbness is a valid alternative to a vibrant transforming relationship with God?

Weights That Ensnare

As I think about my numb state, I can't help thinking of those words in Hebrews, "Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (12:1).

These "weights" may not be sins, but they impede our spiritual growth. They ensnare us with their innocuous appearance and numb us to the majesty of God. Entertainment, food, fitness, novels and shopping—among other things—could be called "weights." They are innocent in moderation, even good, but easily become excessive in their hold on us. They simultaneously lift our spirits and numb our spiritual sensitivities. When we overindulge regularly, they dominate our hearts and leave us in a half-baked, complacent and numb spiritual state.

Priorities That Matter

While I don't think running to a monastery is the answer, I am compelled to put in place some new habits that will sharpen my vision and help me see God more clearly.

Too often, we use the excuse that we are "too busy," but what we really mean is that it is "not a priority."

Trials can be a blessing in disguise when they bring us to God, but we don't need a disaster to begin removing obstacles to our spiritual health. We need God's grace and some thoughtful planning. Too often, we use the excuse that we are "too busy," but what we really mean is that it is "not a priority." We forget that spiritual disciplines are not an end in themselves. They are a means to an end, namely, communion with God. And sometimes we need to trim down—even good priorities—to make time for better ones.

Promoting Spiritual Health

The problem with spiritual numbness is that it isn't honest. We have no room in our hearts for the One we say we love most. If Christ is better than anything the world has to offer, why do our lives tell a different story?

In this lifetime, we will never be able to stop turning blessings into idols. We need to constantly assess our passions and desires, not to squash them, but to strengthen and realign them with God's desires.

Reshuffle your priorities and become who you were meant to be.

In communing with Christ, we move toward becoming our most authentic self, namely, "dead to sin and alive to God" (Rom. 6:11). So let me encourage you to make just one change that will promote your spiritual health. If you are spiritually alive in Christ, then live. Reshuffle your priorities and become who you were meant to be.

What are the "weights" holding you back from communion with God? What one change will you make to invest in your spiritual health?

In a previous post, I wrote about "monster churches" in reference to congregations that chew up and spit out pastors on a regular basis. Monster churches are highly dysfunctional and rarely fruitful.

The congregation, however, is not always the problem. Just as monster churches are a factory of discord, monster pastors take trouble with them wherever they go.

Nicknames for monster pastors include: dictator, authoritarian and control freak.

Biblically speaking, they may be false teachers, greedy for selfish gain, deceitful workmen and ravenous wolves. They specialize in hijacking congregations and then abusing their power.

Monster pastors have little regard for the sheep (or the Chief Shepherd for that matter). Instead, their first priority is self, masked by other agendas. Such pastors may use pressure tactics, political maneuvering, and/or persuasive speech in order to manipulate a congregation into acting on their behalf.

When they don't get their way, monster pastors usually 1) move on to another church, 2) cause a stir in their current church and/or 3) blame the congregation for not following their lead. Simply put, monster pastors are building their own kingdom rather than Christ's kingdom.

As a general rule, monster pastors:

1. Are always right and never wrong.

2. Cannot accept criticism without becoming defensive.

3. Are not willing to share the pulpit.

4. Do not support other ministries.

5. Overly use the personal pronoun, "I."

6. Resist accountability.

7. Feels threatened by former pastors.

8. Surround themselves with "yes men" rather than edifying leaders.

9. Do not entrust ministry to other leaders.

10. Undermine programs that they cannot control.

11. Insist that everything in the church run through them.

Rarely do you see a monster church matched with a monster pastor. Why? I think they can sniff each other out. Just like a bully rarely picks on another bully, choosing instead to prey upon the weak. Many times, monster pastors leave behind congregations with empty bank accounts, warring factions and a tarnished reputation.

Like a codependent spouse, abused churches typically continue to hire abusive pastors. The best thing that these churches can do is to stop and evaluate their situation before hiring another pastor (read this post to learn more).

If your church is in this predicament, consider bringing in a trusted interim pastor with a strong track record of long, peaceful pastorates. Ask the interim to help the congregation address problems and patterns that have wreacked havoc in the past. Spend time creating a plan to move forward and a strategy for selecting a new pastor.

Consider investigating candidates before interviewing them. Look for red flags such as a pattern of short-lived pastorates and a history of conflict. Take seriously the qualifications for a pastor found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

The ministry in which I serve, DiscipleGuide, has a heart for helping struggling churches. Our church solutions ministry provides personal assessment, coaching, and consulting services. If we can be of help to your congregation, feel free to contact us at info@discipleguide.org.

If you've ever played sports (which I assume includes all of you in one way or another), you know that every single time you step onto the field or court, you always know where the goal is. Always.

The goal has everything to do with the direction you run, the points you make (or miss), and whether you win or lose.

The energy you expend is always oriented toward the goal because that's where the points are. That's what counts.

Without a clear goal, you can't play the game. Without a clear goal, you can't win the game.

With your daughter, it's the same way.

As you think about "the game you're playing" (I'm using game as a metaphor to capture the essence of the interpersonal dynamic between the two of you, not as something fake in your relationship), are you clear about the goal you have in your relationship with her?

I can't think of too many dads I've met who are clear about the goal or outcome they are shooting for with their daughter. Maybe a general idea, but not a specific goal.

And for a goal to work, it has to be clear, specific, measurable and achievable.

Dad, I ask you this: Have you taken the time to honestly and directly state for yourself your goals as a father with your daughter?

Using the sports analogy above, it may help to think of it like this: If your end goal is to launch your daughter at the age of 18 as a healthy, confident, authentic, clear-minded and vibrant young woman who is ready to take on the world, what are you currently doing to help her get there? Or let's break it down further, what is your "halftime assessment plan" if she is 9 years old and you're about halfway there?

I'm going to add one more layer to this concept of goal setting with your daughter. I call it thinking backward.

This time I recommend that you think about not just the here and now, but also about the future. It can be a new way of looking at the present by imagining the end of your life and thinking backward from then to now. I'm not trying to be morbid. Just stating a reality that we all have to face.

We all leave a legacy. One way or another, we leave an imprint.

So I invite you to ask yourself a tough question, one that will allow you to be brutally honest with yourself while sitting in the reality that you are leaving a legacy for good or bad, whether you want to or not.

For real, what do you want your legacy to look like?

You will literally change the course of history through your active engagement with your daughter at the heart level. She will carry you with her after you leave this earth. Your legacy will live on through her in proportion to your heart investment in her.

Though you won't be around forever physically, you will be around forever in the deposit you leave in your daughter's life. A theory in the field of psychology claims that some adults have an internalized parent who lives on inside them. Long after that parent is gone, the adult child may still seek to please the parent who is no longer around to see the performance. So again I ask you: What are you doing now to make sure your daughter hears your encouraging, supportive, loving, grace-filled, validating, inspiring and motivating voice in her head forever?

Carefully consider the following statement, and then finish the sentence in your own words by writing it down.

"At the end of my life, if my daughter had only one thing to say about me, I want it to be: ... ."

Looking at the response you just wrote, is it a head response or a heart response? I know you wrote a heart response. How do I know that? Because every dad I've ever invited to finish this sentence has written a heart response.

Here are some of the things I've heard dads say they hope their daughters would say about them at the end of their lives:

"There isn't anything he wouldn't do or give for me, even at a cost to himself."

"I never doubted his love for me."

"I knew he adored me."

"He loved the Lord with all his heart and soul, and he loved me in the same way."

Dad, if I could take one more minute of your time I want to encourage you to take what you wrote in the box above and break it down into three action steps. (Remember that action heroes have to take action in order to be a hero.)

For example, if you wrote that you want your daughter to know you love her, write HOW your love will look. Be specific. You might write something like this:

1. I will drive her to school every Friday while stopping at Starbucks on the way so we have a tradition that is ours and ours alone.

2. I will take her on a dad-daughter date once a month as a way to let her know by my actions that she is worth my time, money and energy.

3. I will write her a letter every year on her birthday to tell her the exact ways I've seen her grow in that year while making sure she hears why she is special to me.

Do you see how the concept of love grew legs by the action plan that accompanied it?

I trust that this exercise of thinking backwards will be one that now guides your action steps in the present. I'm cheering you on from here. Go Dad!

Dr. Michelle Watson has a clinical counseling practice in Portland, Oregon, and has served in that role for the past 17 years. She is founder of The Abba Project, a 9-month group forum that is designed to equip dads with daughters ages 13 to 30 to dial in with more intention and consistency, and has recently released her first book entitled, Dad, Here's What I Really Need from You: A Guide for Connecting with Your Daughter's Heart. She invites you to visit drmichellewatson.com for more information and to sign up for her weekly Dad-Daughter Friday blogs, where she provides practical tools so that every dad in America can become the action hero they want to be and their daughters need them to be. You can also follow or send feedback on Facebook and Twitter.

Do foods like skim milk and balsamic vinegar seem healthy? The amount of sugar in these foods may surprise you.

Many so-called health foods are loaded with sugar. These hidden sugars are part of why so many people are unhealthy.

Damaging Sugar Spikes

Americans consume a shocking amount of sugar. Many people eat and drink the equivalent of an entire cup of sugar every day! That's double the amount of sugar average Americans consumed 100 years ago.

All of that sugar can be deadly. Dr. Gerald Edelman, a Dallas oncologist and author of the book, Sugar Rehab, has seen first-hand the damaging effects of too much sugar. He says sugar stimulates cancer cells directly and indirectly.

"In prior years it wasn't quite as clear as it is now, that there is a direct link between sugar spikes during the day and cause of cancer," he said.

He adds cancer survivors who are also diabetic have a much higher chance of their cancer coming back than people with low blood sugar.

Edelman points out that too much sugar can cause obesity, a known risk factor for many health problems, from heart disease to high blood pressure as well as the common cold.

"These sugar spikes, which really means an elevation in your blood sugar level, what that does is it causes an inflammation state in the body. It's very harmful to your body," he explained.

"So the inflammation state, with all the chemicals that cause inflammation that are secreted as a result of all these high blood sugars, they can cause a lowering of your immune system," he continued.

"So high blood sugar is an immunosuppressant effect. It suppresses your immune system, so you're more susceptible to the flu, you're more vulnerable to inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis," he said.

John Speanburg is one of Edelman's patients. He has Hodgkins lymphoma, cancer of the blood. After following Edelman's advice to slash the sugar, he lost weight and has been cancer-free for nine years.

"I love yogurt," he said. "But when you start realizing there's nine grams of sugar in a cup of yogurt, I started cutting out my yogurt."

Sugar Addicts

Edelman suggests an easy way to curtail sugar intake. He recommends looking at a product's nutrition facts panel on the label. He said if an item contains more than two grams of sugars per serving, don't eat or drink it.

He warns not to be fooled by healthy-looking foods. As an example, he pointed to a popular protein shake that contained 44 grams of sugar per serving.

Sugar is highly addictive. Brain imaging shows the pleasure and reward centers light up the same way when a person eats sugar as they do when a person takes cocaine.

Also, it is difficult to get off the roller-coaster ride consisting of the sugar "high" followed by the sugar "crash."

"You're going through spikes and valleys of blood sugar levels," Edelman explained. "When you're at a valley, what's your body want? It wants more sugar. Your body loses its natural equilibrium of intelligently telling you when its hungry and intelligently telling you when its full."

Most people who try to cut back on the amount of sugar they consume stop eating the obvious offenders such as desserts like cakes, cookies and ice cream. Unfortunately, that's only the beginning.

Many foods that appear healthy are just as sweet as dessert. For instance, those little packages of oatmeal can contain as many as 12 grams of sugar per serving. A low-sugar alternative are the old-fashioned, slow-cook oats or steel-cut oats, which contain only one gram of sugar per serving.

She shows how to choose lower-sugar alternatives to foods with high sugar impact. Sugars hidden in foods being marketed as health foods are why so many people have difficulty losing weight.

"What I think is most upsetting is all of these people trying so hard to eat healthy, yet being duped by misinformation," she said. "Because they just go, 'Wow, this isn't working. I'm going to give up.'"

Virgin says low-fat and fat-free foods often contain far more sugar than people realize. For example, many fat-free salad dressings are one-third sugar.

"When we started to pull the fat out of products, we either add, or are left with, sugar," she said. "If you look at a lot of the dairy products, especially cream cheeses, we go to the light cream cheese, and they actually added sugar in."

She said a good diet contains a large percentage of healthy fats, the same ones that have been unfairly demonized.

"More than anything else, fats are satiating. When you eat fat it helps you stay full for hours," she explained. "This is so critical because if you're eating a low-fat diet and you're hungry every couple of hours, you just trained your body to live on sugar, not fat. You should be able to go four to six hours before you need to eat again."

Virgin attributes her svelte figure and glowing hair and skin to a diet high in healthy fat.

"My diet is 40 to 50 percent fat," she said. "Honestly, when I used to eat a low-fat diet, I used to struggle with my weight, my mood, my skin. And this was 20 to 30 years ago when it should have been easy, right?"

She said a good way to crush sugar cravings is to replace sweets with healthy fats.

"They're delicious and they're satiating and they trigger your reward center, so you don't feel deprived," she said.

Perhaps the biggest sugar scam are the words "fruit" and "juice" on the labels of processed foods. These items are made of the super-sweet concentrated fructose that's left over after the healthy fruit fiber and nutrients have been removed.

Some examples are fruit leathers, fruit snacks and fruit juice. Dried fruits are also misleading because they often contain more sugar than candy.

Virgin warns about falling for the "no sugar added" claim.

"There's easy ways to say 'no sugar added' and still put it in there," she explained. "Apple juice concentrate is the worst thing you can possibly have. Apple juice concentrate has more fructose than high fructose corn syrup does."

Refined carbohydrates are deceptive because, while not tasting sweet, they turn into sugar after you eat them because the grains have been stripped of the good stuff, leaving only the starch.

Even whole grains can be a poor choice because of added sugars. Two slices of whole wheat bread can contain six teaspoons of sugar.

Therefore, don't blindly choose to eat a food simply because it's whole grain. First check the list of ingredients for added sugar. A red flag is any ingredient containing the word "syrup."

Check the Facts

Other seemingly healthy foods that often contain staggering amounts of sugar include muffins, breakfast or energy bars, sports drinks and energy drinks. Don't rely on the manufacturer's description of the product. Read the nutrition facts and the list of ingredients.

"We're really trying but the challenge is that the manufacturers know how to prey on our good intentions," Virgin said.

A pasta sauce with sugar added is high sugar impact, with no sugar added is medium impact, and crushed tomatoes, olive oil and basil is low sugar impact.

Just Say No to Sugar

Virgin advises steering clear of artificial sweeteners. Research shows people who consume a lot of them actually tend to gain more weight because they continue to fuel the craving for sweet foods.

"There's also a phenomenon called 'calorie disregulation' that they saw with artificial sweeteners," she said. "When you eat something that has a sweet taste with no calories, your body can't calibrate the degree of sweetness with how many calories. So it causes you to overeat."

Edelman said sometimes artificial sweeteners can be helpful when people are trying to break their addiction to sugar. However, he admits they should be used with caution.

"You have to limit some of these sugar-free products because they have sugar alcohols in them and sugar alcohols can act as laxatives," he said.

The best advice is to be aware and "just say no" to sugar ... in obvious places like desserts, as well as the hidden ones.

An emerging movement is growing under a white banner with an evergreen tree and the words "An Appeal to Heaven." But this prayer and awakening movement is already seeing resistance from the U.S. government.

Indeed, a group of pastors were kicked out of the U.S. Capital Visitor Center (CVC) over a prayer meeting with an Appeal to Heaven theme. The pastors were granted the use of the CVC for an event on Feb. 25 dedicated to racial reconciliation but five days before the meeting they were told they could not proceed unless they removed the words "An Appeal to Heaven" from the theme.

All of this is ironic, considering that before its foundation America first flew the Appeal to Heaven flag. It was the banner George Washington used on his navy ships to signal that their only hope against British rule and religious persecution was an appeal to heaven. Revivals are breaking out under the appeal to heaven banner across the nation. Some are expecting the next great move of God to emerge under this banner.

"We never misled anyone about the theme," says Bishop E.W. Jackson, who organized the meeting. "Congressman Bob Goodlatte secured the auditorium for us, and he knew what the theme was. The event was created as a positive and unifying response to the incidents in Ferguson and Staten Island which sparked protests and riots around the country."

Congressional Oversight Committee Staff required that the theme be changed to "A Discussion of [or Appeal for] Legislation." So it seems that although the wall of the CVC says "In God We Trust," apparently God is not welcome in the building.

"Given the ugly rhetoric by the likes of Al Sharpton and Louis Farrakhan, we thought they would welcome our call for unity, healing and reconciliation," says Jackson, bishop of The Called Church, Marine Corps Veteran, 2013 Republican Nominee for Lt. Governor of Virginia. "But instead we faced suspicion and resistance."

The pastors were told that Congressional Oversight Committee senior staff were "monitoring" their promotional material, and would not allow the ministers to use the room unless "Appeal To Heaven" were replaced with a legislative theme.

"When you tell us we have to change the nature of our meeting or be kicked out, you have already kicked us out," says Jackson, who is also president of STAND and Senior Fellow for Family Research Council. "We will not compromise the purpose of the event, so we had to move it. Many government officials have forgotten that government exists to serve the will of the people, not the other way around."

Rekindle the Flame will still be held at 7 PM on Feb. 25. The new location is the Hilton Washington at 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009. RSVP at rekindle@standamerica.us or call 757-375-6444.

What to know more about the next great move of God? Click here to see Jennifer LeClaire's new book featuring Dutch Sheets, Reinhard Bonnke, Jonathan Cahn, Billy Graham and others.

Why? Because we all have our opinions about how things should be, and we're rather attached to our opinions. Conflict is a reality of leadership. I've been all over the map on how to lead through conflict, from completely avoiding it to plowing through it and leaving a body count behind. Let me tell you, neither approach works out well.

Today I share with you the 4 Steps to Success that I've discovered help me lead through conflict. But before diving into them, we must make some clarifications. Some "Rules of Engagement."

Rule of Engagement: In person is better than text. Please, please, please! Trying to lead through conflict resolution via email is not the answer. Text does not communicate body language, facial expression or voice intonation. If I'm offended, text gives me too much room for interpretation. Text is not the avenue for conflict resolution. Whenever possible, get face-to-face.

Rule of Engagement: If the conflict is between more than one party OR if it's between two parties and you're their leader, avoid individual meetings. Avoid having one-on-one meetings with each party to work through the conflict. Too much room for "he said, she said." In that case you end up playing the Mediator role. You don't want to mediate the conflict. You want to facilitate a conversation. Pull all parties involved into the same room and work it out together.

There you go ... these are the preliminary requirements to the 4 Steps to Success. Now... let's move on.

Once you've adhered to the Rules of Engagement and you have your people together ...

4 Steps to Success for Conflict Resolution

Acknowledge what you see—It's hard to argue someone's perception. Even if their facts are wrong, their perception is their reality. So ... present your perception.

"You know, I may be way off base here. But I walked in the office yesterday while you two were talking and I just sensed a lot of tension. Like something was not being resolved and you guys were at an impasse. Help me with this. Is that accurate?

Listen—In other words, Shut Your Pie Hole! I'm a talker. I tend to fill dead space with my talking. When I feel I need to explain more or describe more or justify more, well, I'll just keep talking. The trick to this step is to NOT talk. Let the silence fill the space. Make it a game of "chicken" if you have to. If you're off base, they'll combat it immediately and let you know. If you're on target, the silence will be deafening. And you are creating an opportunity for them to work it out in that moment. (cha-ching)

**insert cricket sounds**

Define what you WANT to see—this part is important. You are their leader. You've got to define your expectation. The conflict you see is not what you want to see. So, tell them what you WANT to happen rather than what IS happening. Let them know that now is the time to talk through how you can reach that goal. Now is the opportunity to come to agreement. Once you walk away from this meeting, the problem should be put to rest.

"Here's the deal. I need both of you working on all cylinders to make this thing work. I mean, we could probably figure out how to put a smile on and make the best of it. But the truth is, I really want to see you both collaborating in such a way that you are celebrating each other's ideas and finding it easy to work your ideas into a completed project. What do we have to do to get there?"

Wrap back around and bring accountability—This is where the money is. As leaders, we can address a problem that we see but if we never come back around to inspect it again then we miss an opportunity to re-emphasize its importance. Wrapping back around is the act of intentionally revisiting to make sure things are truly better. To ensure progress is made. That the conflict is truly resolved. You may not sense the tension any longer, but the real test is in the people involved and their perception of how things have improved. Be sure to come back around after an appropriate amount of time and ask, "Is it better? How?"

There you go. My four-step method for leading through conflict.

What step would you add to this process?

Gina McClain is a speaker, writer and children's ministry director at Faith Promise Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her marriage to Kyle keeps her marginally sane, while their three kids (Keegan, Josie and Connor) keep her from taking herself too seriously. Visit her blog at ginamcclain.com for more information about her ministry.

Do you want to be happy—I mean, really happy? I believe that deep down we all want to be happy and enjoy our lives. We can spend a lot of time and energy trying to do things that will make us happy, but our own efforts will never truly satisfy us.

That's because God doesn't want our minds to be on ourselves all the time. He wants us to look past the things that are happening in our own lives and reach out to others and bless them. Because when our focus is on ourselves, we can end up feeling sorry for ourselves and face the danger of self-pity.

I used to have a real problem with self-pity. I felt sorry for myself because I'd been abused by my dad, and sometimes I felt sorry for myself when my husband, Dave, got to go out and play golf while I stayed home with our kids. I wasted so many days having pity parties for all types of reasons.

In the first few years of our marriage, Dave tried to keep me happy, while I carried on with a bad attitude. But one day he finally told me, "You know what? I'm not spending my life trying to make you happy. You can get happy or not get happy, but I'm going to be happy. I'm not going to feel sorry for you because it won't help you." And you know, even though it was really hard to hear at the time, it was the best thing he could have said to me. Because when you struggle with self-pity, if other people feel sorry for you it just feeds the problem.

Now that doesn't mean we can never be sad. But we need to understand that if we hang on to our pain for too long, it can become self-pity, and we can become addicted to it. The good news is God gives us the tools to work through our feelings in a healthy way and not let them control us.

Years ago, when God was dealing with me about this subject, He brought me to Galatians 5:19-21 (AMP), which gives a list of things the Bible calls sin. It says, "Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like ... ."

As I was studying those Scriptures, I thought, "Well, self-pity is not on the list." Then I got an eye-opening revelation: It is on the list because self-pity is actually idolatry. When we feel sorry for ourselves, we turn inward and idolize ourselves ... essentially everything becomes about "me." People who are focused on themselves never see what they can and should be doing for other people.

We should have compassion for other people who are hurting. In the Bible, we see times when Jesus was moved with compassion, and then He would go and help people. If we can be moved with sympathy toward others and keep our mind off of ourselves, we will be much happier. We will also trust God to meet our needs and bring justice in our lives when we are hurting or mistreated, rather than getting into self-pity.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 (AMP), "For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]." That means God rewards those who are faithful and who wait on Him. If you've been hurt in your life and you have put your trust and confidence in God and you're waiting on Him, you have a reward coming!

I want to encourage you to keep a notebook of your blessings, the special little things that God does for you, prayers that He answers. And when you're tempted to have a pity party, go get that book out and have a talk with yourself.

King David talked to himself when he started to feel depressed. He said, "Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God" (Ps. 42:5 AMP).

I am so thankful that God is allowing me to take what has happened to me and use it to help other people. The best treatment in the world for sadness and self-pity is to help somebody else. That's when we get our minds off of our own problems and trust God to help us and do what's best for us.

No matter what happens, be determined—with God's help—to keep a good attitude, remain thankful and avoid self-pity. Then God will bring restoration, peace, joy and real happiness to your life.

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Living Courageously (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.

Clearly, Fifty Shades' mastermind E.L. James is not an expert on dominance and submission. Yet her books and now the movie based on the books glamorize that lifestyle to millions across the globe.

I first encountered the BDSM lifestyle when I received a request from my escort agency to fill a call for a dominatrix role. The phone girl didn't have anyone to fill this request and asked if I would do it.

At this point in my life, I had been sex trafficked, beaten profusely by my pimp, and finally left him for good. My pimp would beat me and then force me to have sex with him. I never enjoyed the pain—rather I was completely freaked out, afraid, and emotionally and physically hurt. This behavior never turned me on; I was completely disgusted by it.

I was pretty bitter from the abuse that I experienced from my sex trafficker and in revenge mode on men. Greedy and hungry to finally be in control, I was curious and wanted to see what this BDSM lifestyle was all about, so I decided to take the call and try my hand at being the dominant. I demanded money and did what was expected of me, channeling "Fallen," my sex industry name and call girl persona.

What a twist of fate and irony—the severely abused now becoming an abuser and getting paid to do it.

Many of my clients were obsessed with me and continued to call, because in their minds, a fantasy love/relationship had started. As this progressed, I got to know many of them and asked why they enjoyed BDSM. The answers varied: as "a way to let off steam"and "to let go of control."

Some described mother-to-son abusive relationships, physical and sexual relationships with other men, and a handful of important CEOs explained the need to surrender the control they had over others running their stressful companies.

With many of my clients, the more they practiced BDSM, the more intensity they wanted. And like a drug, they were never satisfied—they always wanted a more severe beating. Once they tried one thing, they wanted to explore another. That's where it got really scary for me. What if they end up getting really hurt?

In all of my experience over the years with these men, one thing stands true: Underlying their desire to be dominated was a deep-seated hunger and need for love. Many times their sexual desires stemmed from childhood abuse. They wanted to be cared for, watched for, disciplined and admired. Just like a child.

I believe these men were looking for love through BDSM, and missing the mark—and this is why it never satisfied. Real Love doesn't dominate. Love doesn't push. Love's intent isn't to create pain. Love's intent is to create a relationship of peace, safety and security, emotionally and relationally when it comes to intimacy. We know from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 that:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

When you cross the line and hurt someone emotionally and physically, it throws unknowns into the picture: a loss of security, a loss of trust, a loss of honor, a loss of commitment. Broken vows. If you are willing to hurt me physically and emotionally, what else are you willing to do to me? And if I ask you to stop—will you?

BDSM blurs these lines of love. It turns them upside down, and it teaches what we thought was love to become boring and old fashioned, while what we once thought was abuse is sold off as exciting and erotic. These thought processes in the wrong hands can lead us down treacherous roads of accepting abuse as the norm. Normalizing abuse is not the answer to our pain, and it eventually leads to a darker road of more severe abuses.

Spoiler alert: In Fifty Shades Of Grey, Christian Grey was a scared and lonely child who witnessed the murder of his sex-trafficked mother at the hands of her pimp. At 15, he was sexually abused by a woman who taught him the BDSM lifestyle, redirecting his drinking habits and anger issues from his childhood. He eventually becomes a dominant, finds a female whom he dominates, humiliates, and by the end of the three books, he marries her, has children with her, and together they live happily ever after.

But the roots of his childhood abuse are not dealt with; instead they are excused as the reason for his dominance.

Can someone find true love and happiness while participating in this lifestyle? According to E.L. James they can. But as she's admitted, she is no BDSM expert, and this story was written as fiction, not truth.

Realistically—are there happy endings? From my personal experience, no. Should you read the books and go and see the movie? Will it enrich your life if you do?

I am not here to tell you what to do, only to give you the truth that I experienced and to remind you that while Fifty Shades glamorizes BDSM, this story is 100 percent fiction. Fifty Shades of Grey didn't enrich my life; it only revealed a very broken society desperate for answers and relief from pain deep inside their souls.

Annie Lobert is a former high-class escort, a sex trafficking survivor, wife to Oz Fox of Stryper, and the author of Fallen (February 2015).

Blow the ram's horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Gather all the people—the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room. Let the priests, who minister in the Lord's presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray, "Spare your people, Lord! Don't let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don't let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, 'Has the God of Israel left them?'" (Joel 2:15-17)

Many believers across the country have just finished a time of fasting and prayer. A time that was set aside to seek the face of God and ask the Lord to align us according to His will. There is no doubt, as I travel the country that a major breakthrough has been won in the Spirit from this time of consecration. Everywhere I go and every minister that I speak with are saying the same thing. Revival is breaking out! Souls are being saved and miracle reports are coming in that is shaking entire cities.

As much as this stirs my heart, I've witnessed these revival fires die out just as fast as they were started. We fail to sustain what God births in us during times of consecration. My question for you today is, when was consecration a seasonal thing? We are to live our lives consecrated, or set apart, to the Lord daily. If we are to see lasting impact of revival fire, we must keep the fire burning.

In Leviticus 6:9 God gives Moses instructions for Aaron and the priests concerning the law of the burnt offering. This offering was a whole sacrifice consumed on the altar. Everything had to be placed upon the altar, and it represented the fullest form of Israel's worship and consecration. The message of the burnt offering is really complete consecration. Paul taught us in Romans that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices unto God. This is our daily and personal responsibility.

God also revealed to Moses in Leviticus 6:13 that the fire on the altar shall never go out it shall be kept burning at all times. So each morning the priests had to carry out the old ashes of yesterday's fire and place fresh logs to keep it going. We can't live off of yesterday's move of God, but we must daily place new logs on the fire by presenting ourselves before the Lord in daily devotion. God doesn't want seasonal sacrifice, this is a daily responsibility for each believer.

So I'm thankful for the leaders who "sounded the alarm" and called a fast during this difficult time as a nation. I pray that it's not just a fad that we do at the beginning of each year, but rather it sets the tone for our consecration all year long. God knows we desperately need a divine reversal and outpouring of the Holy Spirit in America. However, it will not come until we as the body of Christ turn back to God through prayer and fasting.

The call is still the same. "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chr. 7:14) We have a responsibility to humble ourselves. Humility is best revealed through utter dependence on God through prayer and fasting.

But I want to go back to the verse I began with. "Call the people together for a solemn meeting ..." We must have our personal devotion to the Lord, and we must gather together with our local church for corporate fasting. But America needs to see Solemn Assemblies again! Notice that when Joel calls for these sacred assemblies he says, "Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room". There are literally thousands of believers all across this country praying for revival in their private rooms each day. I believe the prayer movement in America is bigger than we actually think. Prayer networks are popping up all across America. Yet we still lack one important element: Solemn assemblies.

I was in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Call on 07-07-07 for a solemn gathering. I was one of thousands in the crowd at LP Field asking God to forgive us as a nation for our sins and to turn our hearts back to the Lord. It was in those moments where I felt we as the body of Christ were actually making a statement. It was a moment where we began to see the church more unified than ever before.

From that time, I know that more solemn assemblies had taken place and I know many lives were impacted by it. But as I was praying the other day I felt the Lord say that was only the beginning! Those gatherings even as massive as they were, were only "humble rumbles" of what God wants to do in this hour! It's time for a Third Great Awakening! I'm glad our churches are in revival but let's come together for solemn assemblies and let the world know we are serious about turning back to God.

With that being said, I want to make a challenge as a next-gen leader to those in current leadership in the church today that we are in desperate need to mobilize the bride from her private room back to stadiums all across America for solemn assemblies. What if whole states would rally their churches, prayer networks, television ministries, and social media to college stadiums across America? I hope that as you read this you begin to see God's vision in this hour for massive gatherings of believers in all 50 states in America making an appeal to heaven. The call is going forth in this hour and my prayer is this simple challenge could inspire a movement of solemn assemblies in America again.

We have the best of the best media, ministries, gifts, and talents. If we would just drop our agendas and hear the voice of God calling us together to rally the bride from her private room to stadiums across America I believe we can reach the tipping point for the Third Great Awakening in our nation. Now is the time, you are apart of God's call and vision. Please start taking the steps and forming the meetings and let's see God do what only He can do. Don't wait on the big names to make plans, start mobilizing prayer meetings and rallying people until the solemn assembly leaders of the past begin to recognize God's call for solemn assemblies again.

Finally, to those who have lead solemn assembly meetings in the past. I have been praying for you. I know many people have tried to discourage you in this endeavor and the enemy has even lied to you and said, "What's the use?" But hear the cry of David's in this generation, "Is there not a cause?"

We need these solemn assemblies and gatherings of the masses more today than we ever have. Will you step up and come together once again for national repentance. I feel that the church has never been more ready for this moment, now we are waiting on your leadership. Will you answer the call ... again?

Want to know more about the next great move of God? Click here to see Jennifer LeClaire's new book, featuring Dutch Sheets, Reinhard Bonnke, Jonathan Cahn, Billy Graham and others.

Mark CastoMinistries has a clear and precise mission: To engage the culture and transform the mind by declaring the truth of God's word, and calling all men and women into an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and demonstrating the power of God to rescue a generation. Casto has led Omega Center International in Cleveland, Tennessee, since 2008, and says he has been called to "stir revival" in America.

Anyone who serves God will discover sooner or later that the great hindrance to his work is not others but himself. He will discover that his outward man and his inward man are not in harmony, for both are tending toward opposite directions.

He will also sense the inability of his outward man to submit to the Spirit's control, thus rendering him incapable of obeying God's highest commands. He will quickly detect that the greatest difficulty lies in his outward man, for it hinders him from using his spirit.

Many of God's servants are not able to do even the most elementary works. Ordinarily they should be enabled by the exercise of their spirits to know God's Word, to discern the spiritual condition of another, to send forth God's messages under anointing and to receive God's revelations.

Yet due to the distractions of the outward man, their spirit does not seem to function properly. It is basically because their outward man has never been dealt with. For this reason revival, zeal, pleading and activity are only a waste of time. As we shall see, there is just one basic dealing that can enable man to be useful before God: brokenness.

THE INWARD MAN AND THE OUTWARD MANNotice how the Bible divides man into two parts: "For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man" (Rom. 7:22, NKJV). Our inward man delights in the law of God. "To be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man" (Eph. 3:16). And Paul also tells us, "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16).

When God comes to indwell us by His Spirit, life and power, He comes into our spirit, which we are calling "the inward man." Outside of this inward man is the soul--the seat of our thoughts, emotions and will. The outermost man is our physical body.

Thus we will speak of the inward man as the spirit, the outer man as the soul and the outermost man as the body. We must never forget that our inward man is the human spirit where God dwells, where His Spirit mingles with our spirit.

Just as we are dressed in clothes, so our inward man "wears" our outward man: the spirit "wears" the soul. And similarly, the spirit and soul "wear" the body. It is quite evident that men are generally more conscious of the outer and outermost man, and they hardly recognize or understand their spirits at all.

We must know that he who can work for God is the one whose inward man can be released, just as the fragrance was released when Mary anointed Jesus' feet with oil of spikenard (see John 12:3). The basic difficulty of a servant of God lies in the failure of the inward man to break through the outward man.

Therefore we must recognize before God that the first difficulty to our work is not in others but in ourselves. Our spirit seems to be wrapped in a covering so that it cannot easily break forth. If we have never learned how to release our inward man by breaking through the outward man, we are not able to serve.

Nothing can so hinder us as this outward man. Whether our works are fruitful depends on whether our outward man has been broken by the Lord so that the inward man can pass through that brokenness and come forth.

This is the basic problem. The Lord wants to break our outward man in order that the inward man may have a way out. When the inward man is released, both unbelievers and Christians will be blessed.

AS A GRAIN OF WHEATThe Lord Jesus tells us in John 12:24, "'Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.'" Life is in the grain of wheat, but there is a hard shell on the outside. As long as that shell is not split open, the wheat cannot sprout and grow.

"'Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies...'" What is this death? It is the cracking open of the shell through the working together of temperature and humidity in the soil. Once the shell is split open, the wheat begins to grow. So the question here is not whether there is life within, but whether the outside shell is cracked open.

The Scripture continues by saying, "'He who loves his life [Greek, soul] will lose it, and he who hates his life [Greek, soul] in this world will keep it for eternal life'" (v. 25). The Lord shows us here that the outer shell is our own life (our soul life), while the life within is the eternal life that He has given to us.

To allow the inner life to come forth, it is imperative that the outward life be replaced. Should the outward remain unbroken, the inward would never be able to come forth.

It is necessary (in this writing) that we direct these words to that group of people who have the Lord's life. Among those who possess the life of the Lord can be found two distinct groups: one includes those in whom life is confined, restricted, imprisoned and unable to come forth; the other includes those in whom the Lord has forged a way, and life is thus released from them.

The question thus is not how to obtain life but rather how to allow this life to come forth. When we say we need the Lord to break us, this is not merely a way of speaking, nor is it only a doctrine. It is vital that we be broken by the Lord.

It is not that the life of the Lord cannot cover the earth but rather that His life is imprisoned by us. It is not that the Lord cannot bless the church but that the Lord's life is so confined within us that there is no flowing forth. If the outward man remains unbroken, we can never be a blessing to His church, and we cannot expect the Word of God to be blessed by Him through us!

WHY THE BOX MUST BE BROKENThe Bible tells of the pure spikenard. God purposely used this term "pure" in His Word to show that it is truly spiritual. But if the alabaster box is not broken, the pure spikenard will not flow forth.

Strange to say, many are still treasuring the alabaster box, thinking that its value exceeds that of the ointment. Many think that their outward man is more precious than their inward man. This becomes the problem in the church.

One will treasure his cleverness, thinking he is quite important; another will treasure his own emotions, esteeming himself as an important person; others highly regard themselves, feeling they are better than others, their eloquence surpasses that of others, their quickness of action and exactness of judgment are superior, and so forth. However, we are not antique collectors; we are not vase admirers; we are those who desire to smell only the fragrance of the ointment.

Without the breaking of the outward, the inward will not come forth. Thus individually we have no flowing out, and the church does not have a living way. Why then should we hold ourselves as so precious, if our outward man contains, instead of releases, the fragrance?

The Holy Spirit has not ceased working. One event after another, one thing after another, comes to us. Each disciplinary working of the Holy Spirit has but one purpose: to break our outward man so that our inward man may come through.

Yet here is our difficulty: We fret over trifles, we murmur at small losses. The Lord is preparing a way to use us, yet scarcely has His hand touched us when we feel unhappy, even to the extent of quarrelling with God and becoming negative in our attitude.

Since being saved, we have been touched many times in various ways by the Lord, all with the purpose of breaking our outward man. Whether we are conscious of it or not, the aim of the Lord is to break this outward man.

So the Treasure is in the earthen vessel, but if the earthen vessel is not broken, who can see the Treasure within? What is the final objective of the Lord's working in our lives?

It is to break this earthen vessel, to break our alabaster box, to crack open our shell. The Lord longs to find a way to bless the world through those who belong to Him.

Brokenness is the way of blessing, the way of fragrance, the way of fruitfulness, but it is also a path sprinkled with blood. Yes, there is blood from many wounds.

When we offer ourselves to the Lord to be at His service, we cannot afford to be lenient, to spare ourselves. We must allow the Lord utterly to crack our outward man so that He may find a way for His outworking.

Each of us must find out for himself what is the mind of the Lord in his life. It is a most lamentable fact that many do not know what is the mind or intention of the Lord for their lives. How much they need for Him to open their eyes, to see that everything that comes into their lives can be meaningful.

The Lord has not wasted even one thing. To understand the Lord's purpose is to see very clearly that He is aiming at a single objective: the breaking of the outward man.

However, too many, even before the Lord raises a hand, are already upset. Oh, we must realize that all the experiences, troubles and trials that the Lord sends us are for our highest good! We cannot expect the Lord to give better things, for these are His best.

Should one approach the Lord and pray, saying, "O Lord, please let me choose the best," I believe He would tell him, "What I have given you is the best; your daily trials are for your greatest profit."

So the motive behind all the orderings of God is to break our outward man. Once this occurs and the spirit can come forth, we begin to be able to exercise our spirit.

THE TIMING OF OUR BROKENNESSThe Lord employs two different ways to break our outward man; one is gradual, the other sudden. To some, the Lord gives the sudden breaking followed by a gradual one. With others, the Lord arranges that they have constant daily trials, until one day He brings about large-scale breaking.

If it is not the sudden first and then the gradual, it is the gradual followed by the sudden. It would seem the Lord usually spends several years upon us before He can accomplish this work of breaking.

The timing is in His hands. We cannot shorten the time, though we certainly can prolong it. In some lives the Lord is able to accomplish this work after a few years of dealing; in others it is evident that after 10 or 20 years the work is still unfinished.

This is most serious! Nothing is more grievous than wasting God's time. How often the church is hindered! We can preach by using our mind; we can stir others by using our emotions, yet if we do not know how to use our spirit, the Spirit of God cannot touch people through us. The loss is great, should we needlessly prolong the time.

Therefore, if we have never before wholly and intelligently consecrated ourselves to the Lord, let us do so now, saying: "Lord, for the future of the church, for the future of the gospel, for Your way, and also for my own life, I offer myself without condition, without reservation, into Your hands. Lord, I delight to offer myself to You and am willing to let You have Your full way through me."

And then let us prepare for the breaking of the box and the releasing of the fragrance within.

Watchman Nee (1903-1972) was a Chinese evangelist and prolific writer on spiritual topics. He dedicated his life to sharing the message of Christ and establishing local churches. In 1952 he was arrested by the communists and spent the last 20 years of his life in prison, ultimately surrendering his life for his faith.

We begin our journey of growing in prayer by acknowledging that prayer is not only for beginners but also for mature believers. Otherwise there would be no point in trying to grow in it!

The Lord calls every believer to a life of prayer—no matter how long he has been saved or how experienced he is in this discipline. The best thing all of us can do to improve ourselves, our lives and our relationships is to grow in prayer.

Prayer is a means of connecting with the Holy Spirit, who energizes us to love God. Our love for God then causes us to overflow in love for others. Jesus made an absolute statement about our inability to walk in the fullness of our destinies in God without growing in prayer. He said that unless we abide in Him, we can do nothing related to bearing fruit or maturing in our spiritual lives: "He who remains in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Because we are not the source of spiritual life ourselves, we cannot generate it, nor can we receive it unless we abide in Christ. Just as it is impossible for us to jump a hundred feet even if we push ourselves, it is impossible for us to generate spiritual life. It is not an issue of practice; we were not created to be able to jump a hundred feet! And neither were we created to have Spirit-life while living independently of the Spirit. We must abide in Christ and grow in prayer to make our lives work.

The Holy Spirit will move in a new and powerful way in your heart and life as you take time to grow in prayer. The change may not happen overnight, but it will most certainly happen. The discipline of prayer will eventually become delight in prayer. Dryness in prayer will gradually be replaced by a vibrant dialogue with God that will change your life and result in many answered prayers.

I invite you to begin the next stage of your journey in prayer right now. There is no better time than today. Do not wait for a special spiritual experience to begin to grow in prayer. We grow in prayer by actually praying. Beginners in prayer mature by praying more. It is the same principle we embrace when learning to play a musical instrument—we become better the more we practice.

From Duty to Delight

In my younger days I loved Jesus, but I dreaded spending time in prayer. I saw prayer as a necessary duty that I had to endure if I wanted to receive more blessing. I never dreamed that I would one day be one of the leaders of a 24/7 prayer ministry such as the International House of Prayer of Kansas City.

I endured that dreadful hour of prayer night after night. I did not like it at all. I enjoyed activities such as going to worship services and attending Bible studies to hear teaching. I liked engaging in ministry activity and going on missions trips. But when I got alone to pray or read the Bible, I found it confusing and boring. However, I really wanted to grow in God, so I knew I had to stick with this "prayer thing" until I developed a real life in prayer. I was determined—but not very hopeful that it would work for me.

A New View of Prayer

To be successful, I needed a new perspective on prayer: I needed to know what prayer is and why the Lord insists on it. As I discovered answers to these questions, I began to see prayer as so much more than a religious duty to endure. I learned that it is a place of encounter, a way to receive blessing, an act of partnership with God, and much more.

A Place of Encounter

The call to prayer is a call to participate in the love that has forever burned in God's heart. From eternity past the Father has loved the Son with all His heart, and the Son has loved the Father with the same intensity. The primary factor in the Father's relationships, both within the Godhead and with His people, is wholehearted love. The family dynamics among the Father, Son, and Spirit are based on and flow in this wholehearted love. This love is the foundational reality of the kingdom of God. It is this very reality that we participate in as we grow in prayer, and it is what prayer is mostly about—that is, participating in the family dynamics of the Godhead. We do this by receiving God's love and responding to the Lord and people in His love.

We were created to receive and express the burning love that originates in God's heart. God created the human race to share His love. Why? Simply because "God is love" (1 John 4:16). No lack in the fellowship within the Trinity prompted God to create humans. The Father was not lonely, and He had no needs. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are fully satisfied in the joy of the love they have shared together from eternity past. Yet the Lord created us to share the joy of His love with us. He created us in His image, for love—to receive His love, reflect it back to Him, and share it with others. Love is at the core of our relationship with God, the essence of salvation, and the foundation for understanding prayer.

Mike Bickleis the director of the International House of Prayer of Kansas City and the founder of International House of Prayer University, a four-year ministry school. He is the author of several books, including Passion for Jesus, Growing in the Prophetic, The Pleasures of Loving God and After God's Own Heart.

Chance has been challenging for me because he's different from all my other kids, and especially his older brother. Marcellus played football like me, and generally pursued a lot of the same things I did. Now, as an adult, he's working in a role that's a lot like what I did for years.

Then Chance comes along, and he's into dancing, singing and drawing. I've done my best to encourage him in those areas, but I'm no dancer, and you probably wouldn't want to hear me sing. I'm not artistic either. And unlike when Marcellus was his age, I don't have a good idea what Chance is feeling when he goes to perform, when he's doing what he loves to do.

So this is challenging me to stretch and grow as a father. I have no experience or familiarity with what's happening, so I'm not as confident as I want to be.

I know many of you have children whose interests are nothing like yours, and you've felt similar things. That's often true for dads of daughters. But I want to challenge you not to pull back or give up, but stay engaged and go deeper as you try to connect with your child.

How do you do that? With Chance, I've been really focusing on 2 things:

1. Keep affirming your child. If he is going in a direction that's different from you, he recognizes it, and he may even wonder if you love him less because of it. So make sure you don't withhold your love and approval. Go out of your way to say, "I love you" and "I'm proud of you." Maybe even see if you can throw in the idea that you're "learning new things" from him and really "enjoying the experience."

2. Really listen to your child. Ask questions. Show genuine interest. Tune in to her words and nonverbal communication. You will learn more about your child, and you'll demonstrate that, yes, Dad really is interested in what she's doing. That will give your child an extra measure of security and affirmation.

I'm still figuring out how to be there for my son, but these things have been a huge help. And who knows, you might even see me dancing one day.

I'm sure many of you have experienced something similar with a child. How have you succeeded in overcoming the differences or building bonds with a child who's very much unlike you?

Action Points

Be willing to get out of your comfort zone and try something your child enjoys doing.

Try to really learn about why that appeals to him or her.

Don't hesitate to also invite your child into an activity that you enjoy—even if it might not be his first choice. You'll expand his horizons a bit, and he'll enjoy the chance to enter into your world.

How many times have you heard someone make the simplistic statement "Losing weight isn't rocket science. All it takes is eating less and exercising more?" Many of my obese patients would like to wring the necks of all the well-meaning but insensitive people who offer this as a word of "advice." As if these patients never tried that.

When it comes to weight loss, it is true that to shed pounds, we usually need to eat less and exercise more. However, what happens when doing these things doesn't work? What do you do when you have followed every diet and exercise program to the letter and still haven't seen results?

If this describes you, first let me remind you that you are not alone. As we explore the various reasons why people get stuck in their efforts to lose weight, you will see that many of these factors are reaching epidemic proportions. If you suffer from one or more of them, you are in the company of millions—and the club is growing.

Second, know that you may be metabolically compromised. All that means is that your metabolism is sluggish. Somehow—usually through chronic weight-loss diets and binge eating—it has become impaired to the point of barely working. This means your body isn't burning fuel the way it should be.

This can happen for a myriad of reasons, several of which you can find at thecandodiet.com. However, the overall result is that your body gets locked into storing fat instead of burning it. Sadly, many obese and metabolically compromised Americans are unaware of the factors that have contributed to their condition.

With that in mind, let's examine some of the major factors that can severely affect metabolic rate.

Chronic Stress Lowers Metabolic Rate

Our bodies are designed to secrete two stress hormones when we are stressed: epinephrine and cortisol. A "fight or flight" hormone, epinephrine works immediately by racing through our bodies when triggered by such stressors as an emergency, running late for an appointment, or an argument with a spouse. When our bodies are unable to fight or flee, we become like rush-hour commuters stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the interstate—we are left literally stewing in our own stress juices.

Epinephrine revs up the stress response by raising our blood pressure and increasing both our heart rate and our breathing. When the perceived stress is over, the epinephrine level typically drops back to normal.

On the other hand, cortisol works more slowly, giving us stamina to cope with long-term stress. However, when the stress response becomes stuck as a result of long-term stress, the ongoing elevation of cortisol causes the body to continually release sugar from glycogen into the bloodstream. Glycogen is simply stored sugar, generally held in the liver and muscles.

When glycogen is released into the bloodstream, it causes insulin levels to rise, which in turn lowers the blood sugar. Low blood sugar causes more cortisol to be released, leading to weight gain.

Certain foods and beverages will raise cortisol levels, including everyday items such as caffeinated beverages and coffee. In fact, drinking two cups of coffee raises your cortisol levels by approximately 30 percent within a single hour. I am not recommending that you stop drinking coffee, since it does have health benefits. However, I recommend a maximum of two cups a day.

Eating excessive amounts of sugar, white bread and other high-glycemic foods without the proper ratio of protein, fats and fiber can cause hypoglycemic episodes. These are bouts with low blood sugar that also raise cortisol levels. Whenever your blood sugar drops, your body is naturally signaled to increase cortisol production. Another way this can happen is through food allergies and sensitivities and by skipping meals and snack times.

Your Gender Plays a Part

Women typically have a higher percentage of body fat and lower metabolic rate than men. There is currently no consensus on a specific "healthy" range of body fat percentage, and ranges vary according to age. However, most studies indicate a good goal for women is to keep your body fat under 30 percent (for women, obese is defined as a body fat percentage—not BMI—greater than 33 percent; 31–33 percent is borderline). For men, that goal is less than 20 percent (for men, obese is defined as greater than 25 percent; 21–25 percent is borderline).

Inactivity and Muscle Loss

Sedentary individuals as they age have a significant loss of muscle mass. Adults naturally lose 5 to 7 pounds of muscle every 10 years after age 35; as you might guess, inactivity further accelerates this process. The less active we are, the more body fat we keep—and, naturally, the more muscle we lose. By age 60 most people have lost about 28 pounds of muscle and have replaced most of that with much more fat.

I have found this to be especially true among women. I check body fat measurements on all my weight-loss patients and have commonly encountered women with 50 percent body fat or more. Yet it is extremely rare to find this among male patients. Most high-body-fat cases stem from a combination of gender and lack of exercise, plus metabolic compromise.

Could Your Medication Be to Blame?

A common side effect of certain medications is weight gain. These medications include birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, prednisone and other steroids, various antidepressants, antipsychotic medications, lithium, insulin and insulin-stimulating medications, cholesterol-lowering medications, some anticonvulsant medications, some antihistamines and certain blood pressure pills, such as beta-blockers. Ironically, many physicians treat diseases caused by obesity such as hypertension, diabetes, depression and elevated cholesterol with the very medications that lower the metabolic rate and result in more weight gain. That is why I typically use vitamins, supplements and other nutrients in conjunction with a sensible eating plan to treat obesity-associated problems rather than just medications.

Half the Equation

Every overweight individual has a reason for his or her overweight condition. Yet sadly, most who have struggled unsuccessfully with diets over the long haul never discover the underlying reasons for their inability to shed pounds. I have touched on many of these various causes as they relate to metabolic rate, ranging from skipping meals to chronic dieting to chronic stress to aging to medications to low thyroid. In doing so, I have tried to help you understand the many ways your metabolic rate can be affected—which you now know directly influences maintaining weight loss and blood sugar levels.

This is only half the equation, however. Revealing how metabolism works is essential for understanding how to lose pounds and keep them off. Just as important is knowing the solution: developing a low-glycemic lifestyle.

Don Colbert, M.D.has been board certified in Family Practice for over 25 years and practices Anti aging and Integrative medicine. He is a New York Times Bestselling author of books such as The Bible Cure Series, What Would Jesus Eat, Deadly Emotions, What You Don't Know May Be Killing You, and many more with over 10 million books sold. He is the Medical Director of the Divine Health Wellness Center in Orlando, Florida where he has treated over 50,000 patients.

]]>shawn.akers@charismamedia.com (Don Colbert, M.D.)FeaturedHealthLifeThu, 26 Feb 2015 15:00:00 -0500Unsaved Christians: Do We Understand the Threat of Sin in the Life of Christians?http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/22665-unsaved-christians-do-we-understand-the-threat-of-sin-in-the-life-of-christians
http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/22665-unsaved-christians-do-we-understand-the-threat-of-sin-in-the-life-of-christians

Note: This is the first in a series of articles by John Burton. Part 2 on Monday will explore the salvation of Christians who persist in a life of "minor" sin.

There is a glorious salvation to be had, and the enemy has tainted powerful, life-giving theologies in an attempt to counterfeit them—and draw people away from the one true God. God's passion is for people to be wildly in love with Him, and that is what the enemy is afraid of. Instead of radical intimacy and passionate obedience, people are falling for a lesser, false doctrine that communicates God's apparent affirmation of them and affection for them—and it is resulting in a faux closeness to him for millions of "Christians."

Our salvation is glorious and it is also weighty. We can't presume upon it or take it lightly. I suggest it's possible that most people who are convinced of their position in Christ would actually be in Hell if they died today. I will share some convincing and powerful stories that speak directly to further down in the article. People like Corrie Ten Boom, John Mulinde and Daniel Ekechukwu have a perspective that few others do.

The concept of unsaved Christians seems contradictory. I understand that. A Christian is a follower of Jesus. I am suggesting that there are many followers of Jesus, many who name the name of Christ, who are living their lives following him in an unsaved condition.

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain but are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfected before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not soiled their garments. They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches'" (Rev. 3:1-6).

But, are we not free from condemnation if we are in Christ Jesus? Yes. But, let's look at that verse:

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1a).

A massive and increasing number of Christians have been lulled into a slumber regarding the reality of salvation. They have a reputation of being alive, but are dead because of their sin. The common presumption is now that if we read our Bible, go to church and identify ourselves as Christians we are automatically exempt from condemnation. The problem? Too many have understood just what it means to be in Christ Jesus.

Tragically it's true that countless professing Christians are actually living in a place of condemnation because they aren't truly in Christ Jesus. We can't just call ourselves Christians and presume that we are truly in Christ.

"To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, for the carnal mind is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:6-8).

The last 24 years my life and ministry have been marked by a troubled spirit and an unrelenting passion for extreme surrender, zealous prayer and an unapologetic call for passion, repentance and holiness. I understand just how separated, intense and broken we must be to truly be counted among the saved—or, I at least have an understanding of the type of deception that is causing people to remain careless in their walk with Jesus.

To be a true follower of Jesus requires more than today's theologies are communicating, and that does indeed both anger and wreck me. This is why I just cannot lead a church or ministry without an intense, burning edge to them. Anything short of radical just can't be promoted anymore!

Why is my spirit troubled? Because I am convinced both by Scripture and by a horrifying encounter I had with the terror of Hell over two decades ago that a shocking percentage of professing Christians are on their way to Hell. We must exhort one another into radical faith.

" Be attentive, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, and you depart from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb. 3:12-13).

The risk of falling away is very real, and very terrifying:

"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to be renewed once more to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and subject Him to public shame" (Heb. 6:4-6).

In my encounter, I was dragged toward Hell as a praying, worshipping, professing Christian—and I almost went mad. The terror is beyond anything I could ever describe and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. When people tell others to go to Hell, they have no idea what they are saying.

When I came out of the encounter I received the most troubling message that God has ever given me: Many Christians will be shocked to find themselves in Hell one day. My life-long mandate is to shout this truth and awaken the sleepers.

These are people who believe they are in Christ Jesus—but are not—and who are heading to a judgment day that will stun them. This is why continual warnings and messages of awakening must pierce our church culture. This is why anything less than a white hot, high-bar atmosphere of fervent prayer, repentance and brokenness must be rejected in our churches. It's time for Ichabod churches to be made known so it become clear who the martyr-minded true believers are. Those who are willing to take up their cross are those that make up the true church.

Today the world is watching millions of people following Jesus with no cross on their backs, and this is the heretical deception that must be exposed. God will, in time, reveal the wheat and the tares.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it'" (Matt. 16:24-25).

John Burtonhas been developing and leading ministries for over 20 years and is a sought out teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. John has authored nine books, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. Additionally, he planted two churches, has initiated two city prayer movements and is currently directing a prayer and revival focused ministry school in Detroit called theLab University. John's mandate is to call the church in the nations to repentance from casual Christianity and to burn in a manner worthy of the King of Kings. He is equipping people to confront the enemies of God (established religion, Jezebel, etc.) that hinder an extreme, sold out level of true worship.

Have you ever said a prayer and felt like the answer was being delayed? Has anyone ever said to you, "The delay is over!" If you have been in church or around Christians for any length of time, one or both of these things you have experienced.

When something does not happen in the time frame that we believe it should happen, we see it as delay. There are Scripture verses to back this theory up, in Daniel 10:12-14 we see that the Prince of Persia withstood Michael for 21 days. But is this verse one we can hang our hat on when we pray and it feels like there is a delay?

What if it was not delay, but design?

When we first get saved, God answers our prayers quickly, because we are babies, newborns. A baby when it is hungry, they cry and we feed them, change them or lay them down for a nap. As earthly parents we are quick to respond to the needs of our baby, for they are just a baby.

God, is the same way. When we were newborn Christians, if we tithed we got a quick return, or if we prayed we usually got a quick answer. We were babies, so He came to our rescue immediately. But He, like any parent, does not want us to stay a baby, His desire for us is to grow up. I believe that what we perceive as delay is actually design.

While we are waiting for an answer to our prayer, a door of opportunity to open (that was prophesied to us), or a financial breakthrough we know God told us was coming, we go through a season of waiting, but when the wait goes beyond our ability to wait, we cry out, delay, no more delay. We start declaring, commanding and even demanding an answer from heaven. We think it is something we are not confessing, something we are not doing,= or something we should have done. But actually it is all part of the design.

God designed what we perceive as delay as an opportunity to not only answer our prayer, but to give us more than we asked for. James 1:4 says, "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." What we see as delay God calls perseverance and perseverance must finish its work, so we can not only get our prayer answered, our breakthrough that He promised or our prophecy fulfilled, but He also gives us maturity, completeness and a not lacking of anything.

Our God is so generous, that He takes our prayers that we think are going unanswered and He uses that as an opportunity to give us more than we ask for. So it is not delay; it is design, for He knows the exact time when perseverance has finished its work. Your prayer is producing more in you than just an answer, it is design not delay!

We look at life from such a limited perspective. I call it caterpillar perspective. This is a very appropriate analogy for me. Ever heard of the children's book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar?" In essence it's the caterpillars job to eat. Most caterpillars don't really eat apples, pears and oranges like the one in Eric Carle's book, but they do eat a lot.

Their focus is on what's right in front them. Their focus is on eating as much as they cant to get as big as they can. In the caterpillar stage, it's been said they can eat as much as 2,000 times their birth weight.

Caterpillar perspective is seeing only what is right in front of us. For the caterpillar that is the special kind of leaves he loves. For the Monarch caterpillar that is those from the Milkweed plant.

He has a great radar for this kind of food and is drawn to it. You could say he has a singular focus for that. Nothing else will do.

He also doesn't look up at the brightly colored objects flitting through the sky. He doesn't even know they could be his brothers and sisters.

He has caterpillar perspective. His focus is the food he loves and nothing else, not even what will become his destiny.

The interesting thing in Carle's book is that after five days of eating almost non-stop, at the end of each day the narrator explains the caterpillar is still hungry.

I should have changed my name to caterpillar. A few years ago, I would have said the same thing. I could eat a full meal and be stuffed. And when dessert came out, I could eat several pieces of that, as well. It just seemed I was never full. I was always a very hungry caterpillar.

After gorging himself on the sixth day, the caterpillar has a stomach ache. The next morning he gets up and spins himself a chrysalis. The book calls it a cocoon. We won't get technical, but that's just wrong and besides, chrysalis is a much more elegant word.

The children's book fails tell us that in this dark tomb-like enclosure is where all the magic happens. Everything caterpillar turns into a genetic soup, except for some transformational cells placed there by the Maker.

It's in the chrysalis that the caterpillar melts. Out of this simmering caldron a new creature begins to emerge. It is a place of change or transformation no one really fully understand.

Everything that used to be the caterpillar is important in this transformation. Every ounce that was him will be used to fuel the change process for the new creation which will emerge. It takes giving up every part of himself to become something new. Even the foods he used to live to eat will no longer be part of his life. Everything about him will be different.

Notable is that this change happens in a dark, enclosed place. No one sees this change begin except the caterpillar and God. There's no peek hole for the chrysalis so that we can see what is happening every day. He is surrounded for a purpose: to guard the process of change.

Change for the caterpillar is a lonely, singular process. The reporter in me would like to interview the caterpillar just before he goes in the chrysalis.

I'm sure going in he's just wanting to sleep for a long time, kind of like how I used to feel after eating everything in site. Some would call this a binge. I never wanted to admit I was binging. I would do it when I was alone so no one would see.

"So Mr. Caterpillar, what are you looking forward by going in the chrysalis?" I'd ask.

"Well, I have it on good authority that it's perfect accommodations, a five-star hotel with all the amenities, especially black-out curtains. I can't sleep with the light on. I've been working really hard and I just need a good, long rest. In a few weeks, I'm sure I'll be better than new."

"What do you expect when you come out of the chrysalis?"

"I'll be rested and ready to get on with my life. I'm not sure what to expect, but right now I just need some shut-eye. Maybe after some sleep I can see things from a different point-of-view. So, if you'll excuse me."

And with that he closes up the last of the chrysalis and begins the process unaware that he prophesied what would happen when he emerges. He will be totally new, completely changed, a new creation.

For the caterpillar the process is part of a life-cycle. Not much thought goes into the process. He just instinctively knows this is what comes next.

For us humans, making a such a monumental lifestyle change is a real journey of faith. Even if we have a vision of the end result, it can still be extremely stressful to give up life as we know it now and go through a different process, even if we are assured of a positive outcome.

The only reason we can do it is if we know for sure God is directing our steps and showing us how to avoid the pitfalls. We know He will do this because one of His names is Faithful.

He won't leave us alone to battle our own demons. He will be with us, empowering us, giving us wisdom, reminding us "No this is the way. Walk here whenever we turn to the right or to the left."1

The difficulty comes in the fact that many times we don't really have enough faith to believe He knows the next step. Sometimes the next step looks impossible. We cry out and say, "I can't leap that far."

And He says, "I'm with you. I'm telling exactly how to do it. Just jump and I'll catch you."

It's in that leap of faith that God catches us in His arms of grace. Is it difficult? Stepping out into untrodden territory is always difficult, but the outcome is not unknown.

All we have to have is just a tiny bit of faith. With that seed, mountains CAN move.2 With God all things, even those we are sure are impossible, are possible.3

It takes faith to become a new creation.4 Every ounce of willpower in the world can't turn a caterpillar into a butterfly. Only God can do that. I know this for a fact because it happened to me. I've lost over 260 pounds and every day He changes me a little more.

Only God has the blueprints to make it happen if you have the faith to believe in His power and submit to His process. Do you?

What change is He calling you to?

1 Isaiah 30:21

2Matthew 17:20

3 Matthew 19:26

42 Corinthians 5:17

Teresa Shields Parker is an author, transformation coach and speaker. Her books include Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Sweet Change: True Stories of Transformation.Sweet Change talks more about the power of God to help us transform into the people we want to be. Order print or kindle from Amazon or pdf from HERE. For more information on transforming your life with Teresa as your coach, find out more about Sweet Change Weight Loss Group by clicking here HERE.

I've had a series of baby dreams over the last decade. One seemed to build upon another but I recently had one that was out of sequence and I believe it explains a lot for many in the body of Christ.

As I travel to minister, hold prayer calls or meet at Awakening House of Prayer, I get more and more confirmation of this reality: Many believing saints feel like they are about to pop wide open with whatever they are carrying—they are pregnant with some purpose, some ministry, some mission that God has given them and that spiritual bun in the oven seems long past ready to come out.

I was in Pensacola in October during the Pioneers of Awakening Conference with Dutch Sheets, Rick Curry, Ken Malone and Ron Teal when I had a significant dream that expressed the frustration so many feel. In part one of this series on birthing your prophetic purposes, I'm going to give you a key that may bring some relief. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you can get part two delivered in your inbox next week.

In the Waiting Room

In my dream, I was in the waiting room with many other people. I was about as pregnant as pregnant can be and very uncomfortable. Notice I saw many other people—men and women. These ones were also in the waiting room and had been there even longer than me, as they were there when I got there.

I was sitting in a chair waiting to go into the delivery room to give birth. I was extremely uncomfortable in just about every way. My back was hurting. My ankles were swollen. Sitting in the straight back chair was awkward but walking was no better. And nobody was moving. No one was coming in and no one was coming out. That's when I spoke up.

"Let me go in. I need to deliver this baby."

"No, it's not time yet," said the attendant.

I sat a while longer and the scenario repeated.

"Let me go in. I need to deliver this baby."

"No, it's not time yet," said the attendant.

"Yes, it is. Can't you see I'm about to bust wide open? I'm going to have this baby right here in this delivery room!"

My urgent pleas did not move the attendant. He would not let me go in. I remember feeling frustrated and starting to grow angry. Couldn't they see that I was overdue and this baby was ready to come out? Why wouldn't they let me deliver?

Easing Your Frustration

The next morning, Dutch was preaching a message and in it he said something that eased my frustration. Of course, he had no idea I had this dream. I didn't tell him until the luncheon. It was as if God was speaking through him to give me the answer to why the attendant would not allow me to go into the delivery room.

Dutch explained that sometimes it's the enemy stopping us from birthing the thing God has given us to carry. That, of course, is what I assumed was the issue and why I was so frustrated in the dream. But sometimes, Dutch said, you haven't delivered because the body of Christ is not yet ready to receive what you are birthing. I bore witness with those words and it eased my frustration.

If you've been frustrated because you haven't seen the purposes and plans of God He has given you to birth—because you haven't seen the prophetic words come to pass—it could be the enemy. But it could very well be God's timing is not yet just right. So, by all means, ask Holy Spirit if there's a demonic hindrance but also prayerfully consider that God's timing has not yet arrived because He's preparing the body of Christ to receive what He's birthing through you.

In part two of this series, I'll share what happened to me on an airplane less than a week after I had this dream. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to get the next installment.

]]>shawn.akers@charismamedia.com (Jennifer LeClaire)FeaturedThe Plumb LineBlogsThu, 26 Feb 2015 10:00:00 -0500How a Mother of Three Made a Difference for Moralityhttp://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/22654-how-a-mother-of-three-made-a-difference-for-morality
http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-growth/22654-how-a-mother-of-three-made-a-difference-for-morality

When you look at the endless problems we face in society today, it's easy to think, "But what I can do? I'm just one person."

The fact is that God only has people to use, and He uses one person at a time. It's amazing to see what can happen when one person decides to take a stand.

Lisa L. is the homeschooling mother of three children. She's 35 years old and, along with her husband, Mike, graduated from our ministry training school when it was based in Pensacola, Florida.

Initially, the transition from ministry school to motherhood was challenging, as Lisa went from wanting to change the world to having to change diapers. Then, she realized that she could change the world one diaper at a time, and so, from their earliest days, her kids would be involved with her in evangelism and in acts of compassion, even looking for opportunities to share the gospel during trips to the grocery store.

Lisa also teaches her children about modesty, believing that beauty is God-given and can be cultivated but that sensuality is a degrading attack on the gifts that God has given us.

A few years ago, she was in the check-out aisle of a store when her son, then 5 years old, said to her, "Mommy, why is that woman taking off her underwear?"

When Lisa looked at the magazine cover, which was at the eye level of her children, she was shocked to see the image of a woman who was pictured in the process of removing her bottoms. How vulgar!

Lisa politely brought it to the attention of the store manager, who agreed with her perspective but had to refer the complaint to corporate management, and that's as far as it went.

Last week, Lisa and Mike were at Books-a-Million in their local mall when they noticed the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, which really crosses the lines of propriety.

They kindly asked a clerk there to cover up or remove the magazine, and as Lisa describes, "from out of nowhere a yelling and mocking man came jolting into my face, yelling for all to hear that my viewpoint was not only wrong but completely discarding the beauty of a woman's body. Only seconds later was he threatening to use his army ranger moves on us!

"Mall security was called and after a few minutes of loud screaming/threatening and what I thought would be an all-out fist fight, I noticed the sweet clerk (who was in complete agreement the entire short conversation we were able to have) had turned all the magazines over to hide the horrendous images on the front!"

It was quite a dramatic event: "It all happened so fast ... Before I knew it he was yelling at me, and then, Mike stepped in and to let him know he needed to walk away. It all went downhill from there. He said he was an army ranger and was going to really hurt Mike. I couldn't believe it! Then, he started insulting me and saying how we were both crazy. It was wild ... so wild.

"But, in the end, no one was hurt and the magazines were turned around. I think everyone in the store received a nice visual on how disturbing the effects of these types of magazines can be. Hoping God was glorified in some way. I haven't had that much adrenaline activated in a very long time!"

Mall security actually had to walk them out of the store for their safety, and when they got home, Lisa was so disturbed by the night's events that she couldn't sleep, deciding to get online and search for contact information for the corporate offices of Wal-Mart and Harris Teeter, a large grocery chain in their area.

She placed calls to the corporate management of both stores and the next morning was contacted by managers from Wal-Mart and Harris Teeter.

Wal-Mart pledged to look into the matter immediately and—get this—an executive from Harris Teeter called Lisa, expressing complete agreement with her concerns, following up with this email:

Hey Lisa, sorry for the delay on sending this to you.

It was nice talking to you yesterday and after we got off the phone I sent communication to all the stores the expectations we have on merchandising the display / issue. All of our stores should have blinders in place on the shippers, covering the image on the front of the magazine. They should also have the mainline issues on a tier behind the normal Sports Illustrated covering the image on the front of the swimsuit issue.

Please let me know if you come across any stores that are not in compliance and I will be happy to reach out to them. We want to make sure we are providing a pleasant and enjoyable shopping experience for all our customers.

Thanks

Tom S. (followed by his title in the organization).

Isn't this remarkable? It took one call by one person, and within hours, a decision was made not to impose an immoral cover on the customers of this fine grocery chain.

And for Lisa's part, rather than being intimidated by an angry and potentially violent outburst earlier in the night, she stood her ground and pushed forward.

One person affecting many stores and touching even more lives. A force for good and an encouragement to morality.

That's how change comes about, as each of us does our part and God does His work through us.

I encourage you to pray, "Lord, use me to make a difference for Your kingdom today!"

I am not one given to visions, but in 1975, upon graduation from Bible school, I saw a vision of a coming great falling away in the church, followed by an even greater revival. I have lived to see the first part of the vision—the falling away—fulfilled. I believe the second part of the vision—the great revival—could be at the door and tarries, perhaps, until we make some much needed adjustments in how we see and present Jesus.

When I saw the great falling away I heard the words, "Jesus is a means, not an end." I knew immediately and instinctively that the falling away would be characterized, not by a rejection of Jesus, but by Him being preached and embraced as a means to personal happiness rather than as the end or goal for life.

A means is "how" we reach a desired end or goal. If my end or goal is to travel from Dallas to New York, there are various means at my disposal for reaching that goal. The means may vary but the end is stationary, for the end is what is important.

In the vision, churches were filled with people who had accepted Jesus, not as the end or goal in life, but as a means for them obtaining their own end of personal happiness and fulfillment. They were like the people in John's Gospel who sought Jesus, not for who He was, but for what they could get from Him.

What's in It for Me?

In the Gospel of John, Jesus chided a large crowd for seeking Him as a means rather than as the end or goal of life. This happened when He multiplied a lad's lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fishes and fed a large multitude. After the miracle, Jesus departed from that area with His disciples. The people, however, were so enthralled by what they had seen and experienced that they crossed the Sea of Tiberius looking for Him.

Their motives, however, were all wrong and Jesus confronted their distorted perception of Him by saying, "Truly, truly I say to you, you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled" (John 6:26).

Remember that in John's Gospel, the signs Jesus performs are indicators that point to who He is—His identity. It is thus clear that Jesus recognizes that the people are seeking Him, not for who He is, but for what they can get from Him. They see Jesus as a means for satisfying their personal needs and desires, not the End—the Lord—deserving their love and devotion because of who He is.

This Is Where Repentance Comes In

The preaching of Jesus as a means rather than the end ignores the ramifications of the fall wherein our first parents heeded the serpent's lie that God's command was keeping them from personal happiness and fulfilment in life. They, therefore, declared their independence from God, rejected Him as the ultimate end of life, and replaced Him with their own happiness as the ultimate end, in other words, they themselves became the end and goal of life. They became the first humanists.

Since that time, their posterity—the human race—has been in a continuous search for the means that will bring them to their end, or goal, of personal happiness and fulfilment. A myriad of means have been used (and continue to be used) to try and achieve this end, including entertainment, sports, drugs, power, sex, career, crime, religion, etc.

What is needed, however, is not another means, but a completely different end. This is what the Bible calls "repentance." In Acts 20:21 Paul said the he preached a two-fold message—repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word "repent" is from the Greek word metanoeo and literally means "to change the mind." It refers to a radical change of thinking wherein self is no longer the end or goal, but Christ is made the end or goal for life. This was the message preached by Charles G. Finney, the Prince of Revivalists, who described repentance in this manner:

"It consists in the sinner changing his mind, or disposition, in regard to the supreme object of pursuit. It is a change in the end at which he aims and not merely the means of obtaining his end. It is a change from a state of selfishness in which a person prefers his interests above everything else, to that disinterested benevolence that prefers God's happiness and glory, and the interests of His kingdom, to his own private happiness."

It has been estimated that 80 percent of Finney's converts never backslid. In contrast, a follow-up was done on those who responded during a modern evangelistic crusade and it was found that, only six months later, only 5 percent had any sort of meaningful relationship with Christ.

I would suggest that preaching Jesus as a means rather than as the End is one reason we have seen so many people drop out of church and let go of their faith. They accepted Jesus as a means to their own personal happiness, not as the end and goal for their life. So when they encountered tests of faith, it was all too easy to let go of Jesus and try something else, in other words, try another means.

Finding Fulfillment and True Happiness

Jesus and His kingdom are the highest and greatest value in all creation. This is why we only find true meaning in life when we give up self as the end and make Jesus and His kingdom the end. This is the point Jesus made when he said, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matt. 16:24-25).

I believe the great revival I saw could be at the door. It tarries, perhaps, until we tweak our message and begin presenting Jesus, not as a mere means for personal happiness, but as the Lord and Master of the universe who calls each and every one of us to an absolute and unconditional surrender to Him and His will. Then, and only then, will we see His kingdom come and His will done on earth as it is in heaven. Only then will we know true happiness and fulfillment.

Eddie L. Hyatt is an author, historian and Bible teacher. He is the founder of The Revive America Project, which is dedicated to reclaiming the vision and restoring the hope for another Great Awakening in America and around the world. His books on the church and revival are available from Amazon and from his website at eddiehyatt.com/bookstore.html.

The book of Nehemiah says that "the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh. 8:10, NIV). Do you wonder how that can be true when you find it hard to maintain your joy for five full minutes? Do you think this is a biblical truth that applies to everyone but you? Think again.

The joy of the Lord is our strength. It is God's will for our lives. And what He wills, He is able to accomplish in us--even in the midst of a bustling holiday season when we feel pulled in every direction.

If the joy of the Lord is our strength, then it stands to reason that joy would be a major focus of attack by the enemy. He wants to weaken us in whatever way he can. In order to fend off his attack, we have to be aware of the joybusters and strength-zappers he uses against us. Here are seven of them:

Resentment. Resentment is nothing new; it was evident even in Moses' family. His sister Miriam and his brother Aaron envied him and began grumbling against him. They resented his leadership, his wife and his relationship with God.

The Lord heard their grumbling, and He called them into His presence. "[Moses] is faithful in all My house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?' The anger of the Lord burned against them, and He left them" (Num. 12:7-9).

In essence, Miriam and Aaron were questioning God's call on Moses' life--much as some of us do with our own or others' calls. We must realize that we have been called to our particular ministry for a purpose. No single ministry is better, more important or more valuable than another.

Still, some believers grumble about their places in the body: "Why can't I be like that person? Why have You given me this ministry? Why am I stuck at home with the kids when so-and-so gets to go out there and be on TV?"

If there's something you resent, take a moment right now to repent before God and say, "God, I'm sorry I got my focus off You. I give up my resentment." Keep in mind that God does care about our words and the condition of our hearts. There is no joy in resentment. Get rid of it.

Bitterness. Bitterness also will zap your joy in a heartbeat. But it doesn't affect only you. In Hebrews 12:15, the Lord says, "See to it that...no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."

Bitterness doesn't zap just your energy and strength, steal just your joy, and defile just you--it defiles many, those around you. Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who has allowed bitterness to grab her joy and tear it down? It's almost impossible to feel joy in that person's presence.

We do not live--or worship God--in a vacuum. When we allow the enemy to come in and steal our joy, our loss is contagious.

But the opposite is also true. If you breed joy and thanksgiving, your attitude will be infectious. Make it a point not to let bitterness creep in. Put an axe to the root as soon as you see it growing.

The longer you allow resentment to lodge in your thoughts, the more energy and power it acquires, giving rise to bitterness. Remember what James wrote regarding the tongue: "How great a fire is set by such a small flame!" (See James 3:5.) The flame of resentment can lead to a forest fire of bitterness--and eventually anger.

There is such a thing as righteous anger. Jesus got angry. God the Father got angry. But such anger does not lead to sin.

If you hear someone curse God or notice him working against God's plan, you have reason to get angry--with a holy, righteous anger. But you can't allow the anger to breed.You have to act on it and get over it.

Matt. 5:22 reads, "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell" (NIV).

Jesus obviously sees anger as a very big deal. He says that any person who speaks ill of his brother deserves the fire of hell. We may feel we have a reason to be angry, resentful and bitter toward another person, but when we allow these wrong attitudes to take up residence in our hearts, we are liable to judgment.

Unforgiveness. Eph. 4:32 says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Forgiveness sets us free--free to work in God's army, to be powerful in the joy of the Lord. Unforgiveness, on the other hand, steals our joy.

It also disqualifies us from receiving forgiveness ourselves. Jesus said, "'If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins'" (Matt. 6:14-15). God will forgive us as we forgive others, but if we refuse to forgive, then God withholds His forgiveness.

Eph. 4:31 tells us to "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." Once we do that, we are supposed to move on toward forgiveness.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Don't give up your power to the enemy.

Fear. Sometimes we hang on to joybusters for protection, not fully trusting God to take care of us. Lack of trust is actually fear--a huge joybuster.

The Word says in 2 Timothy 1:7, "God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (KJV). The only fear we are to have is fear of the Lord, which is awesome reverence for Him, His majesty, His magnificence, His omnipotence, His power of creation, His power for salvation, His power for victory over the enemy. But we are not to be afraid of anything.

Fear causes us to be timid and lose the power and the sound mind that God has given to us. 1 John 4:18 tells us that "there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (NIV).

No one is greater than God, and nothing is more powerful than His love. If you are afraid--afraid you're not going to get that promotion, afraid someone is not going to like you, afraid of death, afraid for your children--remember, perfect love casts out all fear. God knows all, sees all, can do all and can heal all. There is no fear in love.

Offense. We will find opportunities to be offended everywhere we go. But if we choose to be offended, then we allow Satan to take away all the joy that is our strength.

Ps. 119:165 says, "Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble." To stumble means to be offended.

We don't want to stumble over anything. We want to be as sure-footed as the deer, to have hinds' feet in high places. We want to ascend to the heights with God. If you're offended, if you are stumbling, then you cannot climb, sure-footed, to the heights.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus told his disciples, "[Some people] hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away " (Mark 4:16-17). In other words, they stumble.

Jesus tells us that in this world we will have trouble and persecution. He essentially says, "Trust Me, you're going to have tribulation and persecution. You're going to have trouble. Don't be offended. Don't fall away because of it." We want to be like the seed sown on good soil--those that hear the word, accept it and produce a crop yielding 30, 60 or even 100 times what was sown. We cannot waste our time and energy on offenses.

Disobedience. Sometimes we know what God wants us to do, but we just don't do it. Then we wonder why we lose our joy. We must acknowledge that disobedience is a major joybuster.

Remember when Jonah disobeyed God? God told Jonah to go to Nineveh because He had a message for the people there, but Jonah boarded a boat heading in the opposite direction. He endangered the lives of many because of his disobedience.

There is a ripple effect to sin. We don't want to hurt people through our disobedience, but we do hurt them when we allow Satan to steal our joy.

Jonah experienced no joy in his disobedience. He was hiding out, living in fear. When you're joyful you want to celebrate: You're powerful, productive and strong.

Jesus Christ came that you might have life and have it abundantly. But the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. Don't let him get your joy. If you have never turned over these joybusters--resentment, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, fear, offense and disobedience--to God, now is the time! Repent and be healed.

Marianne Clyde is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Virginia.

How could what modern astronauts are seeing from space and what is written in the ancient book of Job perfectly coincide? The short answer for Christians was given by the Apostle Peter when he wrote: "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of the Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation. For no prophecy at any time was produced by the will of man, but holy men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Pet. 1:20-21).

Yes, the world has many skeptics about the Scriptures—but it totally confounds them to try to explain how Job could have precisely described an earth hanging from nothing in space, circular in nature and having a visible dividing line between day and night.

The adventurous among us eagerly look forward to the day when we can become space tourists and see the earth suspended from nothing. Consider the reaction of Apollo 12 Astronaut Alan Bean's reactions as chronicled in a 2012 Science Channel presentation entitled NASA's Unexplained Files. He made these comments about the launch and his first impressions of the earth from space:

"The thought that ran through my head was, 'I hope the metal in this space ship is strong enough to withstand the vibration. It is more than I ever imagined that machinery could stand and still operate. I looked for the wire that is holding this earth up for a second. You can't suddenly change from an earthling to a spaceling.'"

So Job wrote the same thing as modern astronauts have observed? Here is what Job wrote in chapter 26 (highlighting added here for emphasis).

7. He stretches out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth on nothing.

8. He binds up waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.

9. He holds back the face of his throne, and spreads his cloud on it.

10. He has compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

From his observations about the earth hanging from nothing, the waters compassing the earth in a circular fashion and the view of the day-night dividing line, Job was certainly far advanced beyond his "flat earth" contemporaries.

Carl Armstrong is a Bible teacher and a retired Chemical Engineer. He has taught seminars in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Haiti and Africa. He serves on the board of an interdenominational Christian transitional shelter for those in crisis. His web site is watersofcreativity.com.

It's so easy to push your spouse away. And you can do so without even realizing it.

On several occasions, I've pushed my wife, Susan, away and created a distance between us with my critical and condescending words. And Susan would tell you that she's pushed me away by texting and posting when I wanted her attention.

I originally wrote this post a few years ago. It was so popular with married couples that I decided to update it and share it with you once again. I hope that by reading these "10 Ways to Push Your Spouse Away," you'll actually learn how to pull your spouse toward you.

1. Computer time. Posting, commenting, shopping, gaming, chatting, emailing, downloading, blogging, reading, researching—there are a ton of things to do on the computer. Much of it is good, but too much of a good thing can be bad sometimes, especially when it takes priority over spending time with your spouse.

2. TV. For many, watching television is their "default mode." Grabbing the remote is almost habitual. Television is one of the greatest time bandits there is—it steals valuable time from you and your spouse and adds little or nothing to your relationship. Sure, sit down and watch your favorite family show together every week, but then turn off the tube. Better yet, agree with your spouse to keep the television off for one week and spend that time together instead. It may just transform your marriage.

3. Phone conversations and texting. Cell phones allow us to get a lot of work done during our commute to and from work, driving to and from meetings, waiting for appointments and on trips. There is a time and place for everything, though. There are also times and places when we should unglue the phone from our ear and our fingers. Meal time with the family, couch time with your husband and date nights with your wife are all great opportunities to give the one you love one of the greatest gift you have—your undivided time.

4. Hyper-scheduling. "I'm really busy right now." Most of us have probably said those words recently. It's probably true. Our calendars are simply filled to the brim. Sure, there are probably some things on your schedule that you really can't practically control, but there are many things that you can control. Remember this: Your busy schedule plus your spouse's busy schedule equals missed opportunities to enjoy life and each other. [Tweet This] So start saying "no" to more things outside the home and saying "yes" to more things inside. Set a date night each week with your spouse to spend one-on-one time together.

5. Quiet-less house. Noise can be a distraction to intimacy in relationships. The phone ringing, the television talking, video games blasting and the iPod playing can all create unrest in a home. It's so important to make your home a haven and a place of peace for you and your spouse. So make sure that there are curfews on electronics in your home, not only for your kids but for you and your spouse as well.

6. Idols. Cleaning the house, working, watching sports, eating and even exercising are all good things. If, however, they become idols in your life, your relationship with your spouse may very well suffer. Make sure your relationship with your spouse is a top priority.

7. The Tongue. The tongue can praise and the tongue can put down. Too often, couples use this small part of the body as a weapon that emotionally wounds and, sometimes, scars for life. Decide today to use your tongue for healing, not to hurt. [Tweet This]

8. The Body. When you and your spouse got married, you became "one flesh." You were designed to enjoy one another emotionally and physically. Sexual intimacy is a wonderful gift and should not be withheld as punishment or used to manipulate your spouse.

9. Finances. A total of 57 percent of couples cite money issues as the No. 1 reason behind their divorce. Unbridled spending and debt can cause huge problems in a marriage. Start a budget. Don't spend more than you've got.

10. Keeping a List. Do you keep a constant running tab in your mind of how your spouse has hurt you and failed you? It's hard to let the hurts go. If not dealt with, that list of wrongs will eventually become a list of resentments moving then to bitterness and then to anger. Seek forgiveness and grant forgiveness to your spouse.

High blood pressure kills. That's a hard fact. High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects about 1 in 3 adults, and, according to the American Heart Association, is listed as a primary or contributing factor in around 350,000 deaths every year.

High blood pressure damages the heart, blood vessels and kidneys, as well as other organs, often with no obvious symptoms. Some risk factors for developing high blood pressure, such as age and family history, can't be altered, but you are in control of other factors, including your weight.

Most doctors use medication to control hypertension, but many patients don't stick to meds because of side effects. Fortunately, there are also all-natural ways to help get your blood pressure under control. Check out these nutrients that can help you bring your pressure levels down naturally and without side effects.

Hawthorn. "Hawthorn is accepted by cardiologists to be as effective as powerful drugs," says Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report. "In addition to lowering blood pressure, hawthorn extract also increases the strength of the heart muscle." A British study found that giving hawthorn to hypertensive diabetic patients lowered their diastolic blood pressure readings significantly.

Hawthorn berries are loaded with flavonoids and are used to treat several cardiovascular conditions, including high blood pressure, chronic heart failure and irregular heartbeat. Some experts recommend a form of hawthorn called Crataegus oxyacantha. The most common dosage used in hawthron studies range from 160 mg to 1800 mg.

Quercetin. Studies of individuals sensitive to salt found that the flavonoid quercetin lowered elevated blood pressure better than a common antihypertensive drug. In a study published in the journal Pharmacological Reports, the authors wrote: "Since raised blood pressure is the major cause of stroke as well as an important risk factor for ischemic heart disease, we propose that the blood pressure-lowering effect of quercetin could be an important mechanism contributing to the reduced risk of myocardial infarction and stroke observed with fruit and vegetables-rich diets, and possibly with flavonoid-rich diets."

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that giving healthy men a quercetin supplement of 200 mg a day increased their blood levels of nitric acid, which helps vessels dilate and lower blood pressure.

Melatonin. The "sleep hormone" melatonin may increase the normal drop in blood pressure that occurs during sleep, perhaps protecting the heart from damage. Italian researchers recruited healthy women and also women with high blood pressure. They were divided into two groups, and one group was given melatonin for three weeks while the other group was given a placebo. After three weeks, the two groups switched treatments. The study, which was published in the American Journal of Hypertension, found that blood pressure dropped more at night when the women were taking melatonin, but had no effect on daytime blood pressure.

Celery. According to information published by the National Institutes of Health, celery reduced high blood pressure in more than 87 percent of patients participating in a Chinese study. Patients mixed celery juice with honey and took the mixture three times a day for up to a week. The difference in blood pressure after treatment with celery—both systolic and dystolic—was significant, says the NIH.

Pomegranate juice. Drinking pomegranate juice can significantly lower blood pressure. Researchers at Scotland's Queen Margaret University found that when patients with high blood pressure drank about 16 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for four weeks, 90 percent of them experienced a "significant" drop in blood pressure. Another study found that drinking about eight ounces of juice daily reduced the blood pressure of patients with hardening of the arteries from an average of 174 systolic to an average of 162 mm Hg in only one month. After a year, it had fallen to an average of 152 mm Hg.

And while patients on placebo saw an increase in the thickness of their carotid arteries after a year, those drinking pomegranate juice reduced the thickness of their carotid arteries by 35 percent. (Check with your doctor since pomegranate juice can react with some medications.)

The unavoidable truth is that many are becoming desensitized. When the Holy Spirit no longer fills hearts and minds with a passion for purity and holiness, there is a general lack of conviction.

Compromise in this area can be well illustrated through a story that I heard years ago.

Eskimos in the barren North often kill wolves by taking a razor sharp knife and dipping it in blood. They allow the blood to freeze to the blade. Then they bury the handle of the knife in the snow with the blade exposed. As the wolf begins to lick the blade, his tongue becomes numb and desensitized due to the cold. As he continues, his tongue begins to bleed, and he licks even faster—unaware that he is consuming his own blood and slowly killing himself.

Within time, the Eskimos return and bring the dead animal home. In the same way, the enemy numbs us through compromise. Within time, we, like the wolves, don't realize that we are dying—dying spiritually. The enemy desensitizes us until we are numb to the things of God.

A famous quote resounds with clarity for us today: "All the water in the world, no matter how hard it tries, can never sink a ship unless it gets inside. All the evil influence of the world, no matter how hard it tries, can never sink a Christian's soul unless it gets inside."

The greatest battle we will ever fight is within. Our mind is where the battle is either won or lost: "As a man thinks in his heart so is he" (Prov. 23:27). Galatians 5:17 says that the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what our sinful nature desires, and that these two forces are constantly fighting against each other.

As a result, our choices are rarely free from this conflict. Don't be alarmed. The fact that there is a fight confirms the value of our commitment to Christ and His standard of holiness.

There is a very troubling trend toward moral compromise in the evangelical church. I've witnessed soft porn images on Christian websites, questionable movie clips during PowerPoint sermons, and youth pastors talk about their favorite sexually charged TV show or movie with the youth, all under the guise of "relating" to the culture.

Most walk away from Christ not because He fails them, or because the Word of God proves to be untrue, but because of the love of this world (gratifying the flesh). We cannot overlook the seriousness of this issue. Jesus said that the worries and desires of this world, along with the deceitfulness of wealth, come in and choke the Word of God, making it unfruitful (cf. Mark 4:19).

The passion we once had for the purity of God's Word can easily be exchanged for the pollutants of the world. For this reason, I take every opportunity to write about making wise entertainment choices. What we put into our mind affects our relationship with God at a very deep level.

1 John 2:15-17 says, "Love not the world [the worlds mindset], neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

What we watch and listen to affects the heart—it's impossible to separate the two. If we would make it our goal to know Christ more personally, we would preach Christ more powerfully. For example, if a pastor (or Christian leader) fills his mind with the world all week and expects the Spirit of God to speak boldly through him from the pulpit, he will be gravely mistaken. E.M. Bounds said, "The sermon cannot rise in its life-giving forces above the man. Dead men give out dead sermons, and dead sermons kill. Everything depends on the spiritual character of the preacher."

Carnal Christians give God "His due" (a few hours on Sunday), but they forget His call to "come out from among them (the world) and be separate." Every day of the week is the world influencing you? What does your mental media diet consist of? Who do you hang out with? What, and whom, do you listen to? Is your heart set toward the things of God or the world's influence? A quick peruse of your "likes" and posts on Facebook reveals what we truly value.

Compromise also deceives. James 1:22 reminds us that if we listen to God's Word without doing it that we are fooling ourselves ... we are deceived. The power of God's Word lies in the application. In addition to non-Christians, it is Christians who are moving sexually explicit and violent movies to the Top 10 by not applying purity to their lives. It is Christians who are addicted to porn and supplying the revenue to fuel the industry.

We cannot love both Christ and this world. Carnality destroys our relationship with Christ and genuine fellowship with other believers. It destroys our prayer life as well. A carnal Christian does not pray, really pray and seek the heart of God. A deep prayer life exposes facades and crushes hypocrisy. Carnality also destroys spiritual power and hinders the infilling of the Spirit. It also affects our home life. In short, everything that God calls us to be is compromised.

Being selective with what we watch and listen to has nothing to do with legalism; it has everything to do with wisdom. We are to recognize what glorifies Christ and what clearly does not then choose accordingly. Grace does not relieve us of responsibility. We actually live under a higher standard when grace guides our decisions, not rules. It's not about following rules. Let your freedom in Christ, and a relationship with Him, guide you. We've all watched questionable material and have made wrong choices; don't live with ongoing regret. But don't justify wrong behavior by thinking that God doesn't care about what you watch or listen to, He does. We serve and love God with our mind. (See Romans 7:25.)

Parents are sometimes surprised when their children resist correction. Some children seem to resent hearing instruction or advice from us. As parents we need to learn to expect some of that resistance and even prepare for it. This may seem obvious, but many parents react with emotion when they don't get a positive response from their kids. That emotion often intensifies the situation and isn't helpful.

It's as if we expect our child to say, "Thanks, Dad, for sending me to my room. I really appreciate the limits you set for me." Or "I appreciate it, Mom, when you make me clean up my room and make my bed." Children are not going to respond this way. If we expect our children to always appreciate our discipline, then we're going to be frustrated.

We don't mean that we lower our expectations for our child. Kids need correction and parents are the ones whom God uses as the tools to bring about heart change. But we do need to mentally prepare ourselves for the times when our kids resist. We must remain in control as we do the hard work of parenting.

Correction is tough, but it's part of the job. One of the greatest challenges has to do with attitudes. They seem to be automatic responses children have and those attitudes often drive parents crazy. Understanding attitudes can go a long way to changing them, but a plan that simply focuses on behavior is rarely productive. Attitudes are heart issues and need some more intense work.

So, when you need to discipline your child, and that child responds in a negative way, remember that discipline is not intended to be fun. You need to expect some resistance, but you can persevere because you know what you're doing is what's best for your child. The discipline is for your child's good.

Hebrews 12:11 says, "Now no discipline seems to be joyful at the time, but grievous. Yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness in those who have been trained by it."

This parenting tip comes from the book Home ImprovementbyDr Scott TuranskyandJoanne Miller, RN, BSN.

Prayer has transformed my life and it's led me on wonderful paths that I never expected, but it hasn't always been that way. It's taken me a while to feel as if I understood prayer, and considered myself a praying person. Maybe it's because of the misconceptions that I had since childhood.

What are your first memories of prayer and how God works? Here are a few of mine that I shared in my book Blue Like Play Dough.

When I was in the fifth grade, a friend stayed the night. Before we drifted off to sleep, Heidi climbed out of the bed, got on her knees, and prayed. At the time, prayer wasn't a part of my nightly ritual. But seeing her there, it hit me that something wasn't right. If God is God, then couldn't He hear my prayers as I lay on my bed? Didn't my whispered requests meet His ears, no matter what position I was in?

I remember another time I prayed in the second grade for something I wanted. It was a book of Barbie paper dolls. You know—the kind with the perforated edges and all those cool two-dimensional clothes to dress that cardboard figure in.

I desperately wanted the paper doll book, so I prayed. I told God He could make it appear, and I'd keep it just between me and Him. I made a deal, and I told Him He could drop it in my closet, and I'd only play with it when my mom wasn't around. I prayed so hard and so long (for a second grader) that I was highly disappointed the next day when I opened the closet door and the paper doll book wasn't there.

Disappointment trailed me for a week, until I was certain that God wasn't all people talked Him up to be. Until ... my birthday arrived. And guess what I received? The paper doll book! It wasn't my only gift, but it's the only one I remember today. It struck me then as I pondered it with all the contemplation a 7-year-old possessed, that God had answered my prayer after all, just not in the way I expected (p. 128-129).

Looking back I can see a few misconceptions that I had about prayer.

Misconception #1: Prayer is an event. When I saw Heidi pray as a child it confirmed to me that prayer was an event. I understood that I didn't need to kneel to pray, but I did think it was something that I needed to tack on to my day.

For years and years I saw prayer as an event. It was a time when I need to be still and come before God. There are times when I do that. I love quiet mornings on my couch. Sometimes I even get on my knees before Him, but I've grown to discover prayer is not an event; it's a continual conversation.

In the last week I prayed as I rode an ATV for the first time. (I prayed I wouldn't die!) This morning I prayed as I watched my son drive away in the snow. (I prayed for his protection and for a bubble to surround his car from crazy drivers.) Last night, I prayed for a friend when she shared a need on Facebook. I didn't wait until the next morning's quiet time to pray. As I sat in front of my computer I closed my eyes for a moment, and I asked God to be with her and to give her peace.

Misconception #2. Prayer is about getting what I want. As a young girl I learned the importance of prayer from Sunday School, but I thought that prayer was a way to get what I want. I wanted paper dolls, so I prayed. Later, I wanted a new outfit, so I prayed. In high school I wanted to make the cheerleading squad, so I prayed. Yes, God's Word tells us to bring our needs before Him, but that's not the only thing prayer is about.

"Prayer is taking everything before God and listening for His voice. It's asking that my heart reflect His heart. It's begging for discernment and reading His Word. It's not depending on popcorn prayers to get you through. Instead, it's looking back at what God has done and considering what direction He is providing. And then it's stepping out in trust that God will pull you back if He needs to" (Blue Like Play Dough, p. 133).

I improve my prayers when I better understand:

Prayer as ongoing communication with God. He's our Creator, our Provider, our Guide. He is with us always, and we don't need to make prayer an event. Prayer should flow out of every part of our day.

Prayer is more about knowing what God wants than getting what I want. The best things to pray are: "Lord, show me your will." "Lord, guide me in your ways." And "Lord, give me strength and peace to follow You."

Prayer changes me. As I pray in my day I see God there. When I lift up my thoughts and concerns to Him I invited Him to be part of my life, one moment at the time. I am changed because I don't see my tasks, my problems or my worries as my concern only. Instead, I hand those things over to God and I am changed.

As I improve my prayers, my relationship with God improves. As my relationship with God improves I become a different person. Want to improve your prayers?

Talk to God throughout the day.

Seek God's will for your life.

Become a person of freedom as you hand over your concerns to God.

Learning to pray has been a growing process, and I'm so thankful that God has been patient with me along the way. I'm a different person because of prayer. I'm thankful to walk in freedom, turning every need and thought over to Him.

Lord, help me to pray. Help me to turn to You through the day. I want to become a better prayer NOT so that I can get more of what I want. Instead, I desire to know your will. I also want to walk in the freedom that will come when I turn everything over to you, Jesus. Amen.

Tricia Goyerhas written more than 35 books, including both novels that delight and entertain readers and nonfiction titles that offer encouragement and hope. She has also published more than 500 articles in national publications such as Guideposts, Thriving Family, Proverbs 31 and HomeLife Magazine.

I was raised in a traditional church where people worshipped God reverently while holding identical blue hymnals. The only instruments in our church were a piano and an organ, and nobody got too excited except for the one old man on the front row who sometimes belted out an uncomfortable "amen" during the preacher's sermon.

Then, at age 18, I had a life-changing experience with the Holy Spirit—and I ended up visiting an African-American church on the other side of town. These people worshipped Jesus with no inhibitions. They flailed their arms, shouted "Hallelujah!" and swayed to the beat of drums. I was so energized by their passionate praise it that I couldn't wait for the next meeting.

I soon learned from studying Scripture that my African-American brothers and sisters were worshipping the biblical way, even though it was foreign to me. God never intended His people to hide their enthusiasm. The more exuberant I became in my worship, the more personal freedom I experienced. I began to leave the shallow waters of religious tradition. I ventured into the deep ocean of total abandonment.

I learned what it means to worship God with my whole heart—with no fear of people's opinions.

Many churches today have adopted a free style of worship, and some of the best praise music ever recorded is available to our generation. Yet I find that many Christians have still not learned the secret of uninhibited praise. Many of us are content to listen to a music team on stage when God never intended a worship service to be a concert. He invites all of us to be fully and radically engaged in extravagant worship.

Have you shed your inhibitions in worship? I often challenge people to compare their worship experience with the book of Psalms, which should be the standard for every church regardless of nationality, culture or denomination. Psalms calls us to joyful, energetic, unreserved, high-voltage praise.

Have you found the freedom to express your worship in these ways?

1. Declaring praise. The psalmist says: "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." (Ps. 107:2). Praise is simply honoring God for His character and attributes. But it is not enough to just think nice thoughts about Him—you must verbalize how much you are thankful for His mercy, forgiveness and goodness.

2. Raising hands. King David said: "I will lift up my hands in Your name" (Ps. 63:4). I'll never forget the first time I saw a room full of Christians praising God with their hands in the air. It looked like a bank robbery! God asks us to raise our hands because our physical posture affects our hearts. Lifting your hands will help you surrender totally to Him.

3. Singing. Can you imagine a world without music? It lifts our hearts, releases joy and breaks the power of anxiety. The psalmist said: "I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, to You O Lord I will sing praises" (Ps. 101:1). Don't just listen to songs in church or mouth the words halfheartedly. Turn up your volume and belt it out—and don't worry if you are in tune. All God wants from you is a joyful noise.

4. Shouting. We don't think anything about screaming at the top of our lungs for our favorite sports team. But are you comfortable cheering for Jesus? The psalmist wrote: "My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You" (Ps. 71:23). The shouts of God's people caused the walls of Jericho to fall. Some types of spiritual resistance will not come down until you raise your voice.

5. Clapping. The psalms have several references to clapping (Ps. 47:1), but it is not just a way to make noise. Clapping in worship has an invisible spiritual impact. Psalm 149:6-8 says that when we engage in the "high praises of God," we bind spiritual principalities with chains. High-decibel praise is a form of spiritual warfare that has profound impact on demonic powers. No wonder the devil has convinced some churches to stay quiet!

6. Dancing. One of the most powerful moments I ever experienced in worship was when I danced in a church for more than an hour with a group of Christians in Nigeria. I was absolutely soaked with sweat by the end of the service, and my calves were sore the next morning, but my spirit was free. Many Christians are too self-conscious to express their worship in dance, even if it's just a simple sway or a side-to-side shuffle. But the Bible is still clear: "Let them praise His name with dancing" (Ps. 149:3). If you want God to move in your life, you may need to move when you worship!

7. Kneeling. Catholics and liturgical Protestants have practiced kneeling during worship for centuries, but many of us Pentecostals and charismatics have forgotten this vital biblical practice. Muslims bow in prayer five times a day, yet it has become a strange practice in the evangelical church. David wrote: "Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker" (Ps. 95:6). Kneeling inspires humility, and reminds us that we are not God. You may find the most profound experience with Jesus occurs when you are on your knees.

When King David brought the ark into Jerusalem, he was so overjoyed that true worship was restored that he danced before God with abandon. Yet his wife Michal was so embarrassed by his radical display of devotion that she criticized him—and became barren as a result (see 1 Sam. 6:12-23).

Who would you rather be in that story—the wholehearted worshipper or the stick-in-the-mud religious critic? Don't let tradition, spiritual pride or personal hang-ups stop you from experiencing all God has for you. Break out of your box and turn up your volume.

J. Lee Gradyis the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter @leegrady. He is the author of The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale and other books. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, at themordecaiproject.org.

How can average people, with no scholarly training, and little time to invest in historical studies, know for sure that God has spoken in the Bible?

Historically and biblically, one answer that has been given is: "the internal testimony of the Spirit." What is it? Let's consider John Calvin's use of the term, and the Westminster Confession of Faith, and then test these thoughts with the Scriptures themselves.

The Sight of Glory

John Calvin described his conversion to Christ as a work of God that gave him a taste of godliness.

God, by a sudden conversion, subdued and brought my mind to a teachable frame. ... Having thus received some taste and knowledge of true godliness, I was immediately inflamed with [an] intense desire to make progress. (John Dillenberger, John Calvin, Selections from His Writings, [Scholars Press, 1975], 26.)

This experience set the direction of his understanding about how a person is persuaded that God has spoken in Scripture.

The testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason. For as God alone is a fit witness of Himself in His Word, the Word will not find acceptance in men's hearts before it is sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit. (Institutes, I, vii, 4)

The testimony is not contrary to reason, but it is above reason, and communicates a greater certainty than human reasoning—even our own.

Illumined by his power, we believe neither by our own nor by anyone else's judgment that Scripture is from God; but above human judgment we affirm with utter certainty (just as if we were gazing upon the majesty of God himself) that it has flowed to us from the very mouth of God by the ministry of men. (I, vii, 4)

This is remarkable: Not by our own "judgment" do we believe that Scripture is from God. What does that mean? Must I not form judgments about such things? Yes, but beneath a spiritually effective judgment is a Spirit-given illumination of the "majesty of God himself." The sight of God's glory precedes and grounds the formation of rational judgments about its truth.

Scripture's Self-Testimony

When Calvin says that our certainty about the Scriptures comes from a sight "as if" we were gazing upon the majesty of God himself, the "as if" is simply meant to distinguish the "gazing upon the majesty of God himself" from gazing upon the majesty of God in Scripture. We really do see the majesty of God with the eyes of the heart (Eph. 1:18); but we see it in the Scripture, not as if in the unmediated presence of God.

Thus the internal testimony of the Spirit is not an added revelation to what we see in Scripture. It is not the voice of the Spirit saying to our unperceiving mind: "What you are now looking at in the Bible is the majesty of God; so start seeing it." Seeing doesn't work that way. You can't see what you don't see. And if you see, you don't need to be told to see.

So, even though the term "testimony of the Spirit" can mislead in suggesting added information to what we have in the Scripture, Calvin meant that the work of the Spirit was to open the eyes of our hearts to see the majesty of God in the Scriptures. In this sense, then—though it sounds paradoxical—the "testimony of the Spirit" is the work of God to enable the self-testimony of the Scripture. "Let this point therefore stand: that those whom the Holy Spirit has inwardly taught truly rest upon Scripture, and that Scripture indeed is self-authenticated" (I, vii, 4).

The Westminster Confession put it like this:

The ... incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection [of the Scriptures], are arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts" (Article 1.5).

The testimony of the Spirit is "by and with" the Word. I am not sure what "with" is supposed to add to "by" in this phrase. But the focus, as with Calvin, is not on added information, but on how the Spirit enables us to see what the Scripture reveals in itself.

He Makes Us Alive

Turn now to the key passage of Scripture concerning the testimony of the Spirit.

And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. ... If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God [= the Spirit] is greater; for the witness of God is this, that he has borne witness concerning his Son. . . . The witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son (1 John 5:6–11).

"It is the Spirit who bears witness." This is the "witness of God." And it is "greater" than any human witness — including, I think John would say in this context, the witness of our own judgment. And what is that witness of God? It is not merely a word delivered to our judgment for reflection, for then our conviction would rely on that reflection. What is it then?

Verse 11 is the key: "The witness is this: that God has given us eternal life." I take that to mean that God witnesses to us of his reality and the reality of his Son and his Word by giving us life from the dead so that we come alive to his majesty and see him for who he is in his Word. In that instant we do not reason from premises to conclusions, we see light because we are awake, and there is no prior human judgment that persuades us we are alive and awake and seeing. God's witness to his word is life from the dead that immediately sees.

We were dead and blind to spiritual majesty. Then the Spirit "witnesses." He makes us alive. He gives us life. "The witness is this, that God has given us eternal life." When Lazarus wakened in the tomb by the call, or the "witness," of Christ, he knew, without a process of reasoning, that he was alive, because he heard the majestic word.

Seeing What's Really There

Similarly, according to Paul we were all blinded to the glory of Christ in the gospel. What needed to happen for us to see this self-authenticating "light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Cor. 4:4)? What needed to happen was the work of God described in verse 6: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6).

God's word of creation—his word of witness!—brought life and light to our souls. We saw—in the word—"the light of the knowledge of the glory of God."

That is the "internal testimony of the Spirit." The word has its own glory—the glory of God in Christ with all its traces. And that glory convinces us, when, by the work of the Spirit, we are granted to see what is really there.

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books.

In my quest to gain a greater understanding of God's prophetic mandate upon my life, I have spent hours researching the historical significance of the "An Appeal to Heaven" flag. I'm amazed at how the message and symbolism of this flag was so deeply entrenched within America at the time of it's birthing.

I am not a historian, but I would like to share with you a synopsis of my findings, endeavoring to do so through the lens of divine Providence. I believe the hand of God has always been upon this nation. America was founded upon a covenantal relationship with God birthed by the power of prayer and was intended to be a light and an example to the nations of the earth.

Let's begin our historical journey in 1775. The American Revolution was under way. Though oppressed by the mighty British Empire, and occupied by it's powerful military, a remnant filled with hope for freedom arose. These colonists, however, understood that victory against such a powerful enemy would be virtually impossible, and knew their only real hope of success was through an intervention from heaven.

General George Washington, leader of the American Revolution, commissioned six ships for the war efforts. Highlighting this dependence on providential help, each ship was to fly under the banner of a white flag, dawning an evergreen tree in the center and the phrase, "Appeal to Heaven" embroidered across the top. The following is a brief history and the significance of this flag.

The Evergreen Tree

The evergreen tree was an important symbol of peace in the tradition of the Iroquois Native American nation, and in the historical record of diplomacy between the Iroquois and colonists. Never loosing its leaves, the evergreen tree also symbolized eternity. At a challenging time in their history, a peacemaker among the Iroquois united six great tribes, establishing unity among them. Their peace treaty and eternal covenant to work and fight together was sealed by burying their weapons underneath a great evergreen tree.

Our Founding Fathers were greatly influenced by Iroquois cultural traditions, their form of government, and this tree that symbolized peace and eternal covenant. The covenant they intended to honor was with God and one another. They would pledge their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to this agreement. But the symbol of the evergreen tree on Washington's flag was not inspired only by the Iroquois' tradition. The "tree of peace" would soon become known also as the colonists' "liberty tree." This new meaning evolved from a conflict with the King of England.

The colonies depended heavily on the wood from these massive evergreen trees for their livelihood, using them to build homes, furniture, boats, fires, tools, and much more. Measuring up to 6 feet in width and exceeding heights of 250 feet, these "New World Pines" were considered some of the best in the world. The king of England, therefore, established the "Broad Arrow Act" as a way to harvest American pines for constructing vessels for the British Royal Navy.

Regardless of the trees' importance to the colonists, British soldiers were ordered to mark the best evergreens—even those on personal property—for only the king's use. This was done with an arrow symbol axed into them. Thus the name, Broad Arrow Act. This of course, infuriated the colonists and was used as a rallying cry of sorts for several years leading up to the war.

An Appeal to Heaven

The evergreen tree of the Iroquois and the colonists' (their liberty tree) became an important symbol for the colonists. A flag bearing its representation would soon be seen throughout all 13 colonies. Designed and commissioned for use on General Washington's navy vessels, this white banner with an evergreen tree became the symbol of the colonists unwavering spirit of liberty.

But, as we know, the tree was only part of the flag. General Washington, the Continental Army, and the colonists at large, recognized that the liberty they sought could never be attained through their abilities and strength alone. Their only hope for defeating the British was divine help from the God they were in covenant with. For this reason, the evergreen tree on the white flag was crowned with the phrase, "Appeal to Heaven."

Where did this interesting phrase originate? The phrase "Appeal to Heaven" was written by an Englishman, John Locke, in his "Second Treatise of Government." One of the great philosophers of his time, Locke presented a system of justice that God intended for all humankind, and spoke of inalienable rights that were derived from our Creator, rather than from the laws of civil government.

"And where the body of the people, or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have liberty to appeal to heaven ... ." —John Locke, Second Treatise of Government

Locke's phrase, "Appeal to Heaven," connotes that when all resources and the ability to attain justice on earth are exhausted, an "appeal to heaven" still remains. This concept would become a foundational philosophy in American society used even in the Declaration of Independence.

By raising the "Appeal to Heaven" flag, the general of the Continental Army prophetically proclaimed that, despite being grossly outnumbered, inexperienced and under-resourced, with God's help they would triumph over injustice. Like David raising his tiny sling against a great giant, with heaven's aid, they would prevail against their oppressors. And they did, becoming a powerful, free republic and a light to the nations, undeniably raised up by the arm of Almighty God.

Today, the future of this great Christian nation, formed under this banner, symbolizing eternal covenant, liberty and the power of prayer, is in jeopardy. We are perilously close to losing our freedom and destiny. Yet my conviction is strong: There is still hope for America! We can emulate the strategy of our Founding Fathers and make "An Appeal to Heaven!" If we do, we, too, will experience God's supernatural intervention. We can. We must.

Want to know more about the next great move of God? Click here to see Jennifer LeClaire's new book, featuring Dutch Sheets, Reinhard Bonnke, Jonathan Cahn, Billy Graham and others.

Dutch Sheets is an internationally recognized teacher, conference speaker and author of The Power of Hope. He has written more than 20 books, translated into over 30 languages. His first work, Intercessory Prayer, sold nearly a million copies and is being used to empower believers worldwide for passionate prayer and societal transformation. He and his wife, Ceci, make their home in the Dallas area.

Regardless of what you are going through, God is fully aware of it. Not only that, He is also with you. He cares deeply about you right now, and His Word offers you hope for victory in every situation, trial and challenge you face.

If you want to see God's powerful promises manifested in your life, you must seek the guidance of His Spirit through prayer. His Word, His Spirit and His will are always aligned. Take hold of His promises and learn to walk with Him by faith for life-changing results.

HEART ISSUE: Take time to dwell on God's assurances for victorious outcomes in every area of your life. Choose to believe they are intended for you.

PRAYER FOCUS: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for Your powerful promises. You always hear and answer me. Regardless of how things have gone in the past, or how they look today, I can overcome any obstacle because You are completely victorious in me. Amen.

HEART ISSUE: Tell God all about your dreams and desires. Then take time to listen to Him and receive His direction.

PRAYER FOCUS: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for hearing my prayers, spoken and unspoken. Thank You for answering every time and for giving me my heart's desires. I give You all the glory. Amen.

When we received a prophetic word that a leader was coming on board that would lead Charisma into a new era of growth, I had no idea who that could be. When I met Dr. Steve Greene, I knew in my spirit he was that leader.

Dr. Greene wasn't here more than few days before he reinvigorated the staff and re-envisioned Ministry Today. And this is just the beginning of his tenure at Charisma Media as executive vice president of our media group.

This is a role that has been open for several years as we looked for the right leader. We wanted not only someone with professional qualifications but one who understands the spiritual aspects of the role and who can hear from God. Also, it needed to be someone who could boldly grasp the new realities and opportunities of the contemporary media world.

A visiting prophet told my wife and me that person was coming months before we met him. He said we would know who he was when he walked in the door, and that he would be so much like me it would be like hiring a twin.

If you've read his writing or listened to him speak, you know Dr. Greene is an extraordinary businessman and communicator who has pastoral experience and a heart for ministry. His impressive resume has prepared him for his new role.

As a user of what we produce at Charisma Media, this move will impact you by impacting the media you consume from us—the stories we cover, the new apps we produce or new creative ways we use media "to equip the saints."

Recently I shared with my Strang Report readers a sample of Dr. Greene's commentary called "Greenlines." His writing reflects the spiritual mandate to "come up higher." I encourage you to sign up here to get it daily.

For most of his career, Dr. Greene has focused on revenue growth for small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, media properties and nonprofits. He ran a media company with 23 television stations that were early innovators on the Internet. He also owned a marketing company that had as clients some of the most recognizable brands in the country.

Dr. Greene also has owned and sold several restaurants and was the CEO of a company that franchised restaurants, tripling the number of its franchises.

Most recently he served for four years as dean of the college of business at Oral Roberts University during the tenure of Dr. Mark Rutland and took that college and its students to a new level.

But he's more than just a businessman or marketer or academician. He has an empathy for pastoral leadership that was earned in the trenches as a worship leader, teacher and in the last 10 years as a senior pastor.

As a business pastor, Dr. Greene believes that business leaders are called to the pulpit of their businesses to advance the kingdom of God. A year or so ago he wrote an article titled, "Shepherd in the Boardroom" in Ministry Today.

Among his many duties, he'll give spiritual leadership to Ministry Today as a platform where he can follow his calling of "equipping leaders who equip the saints."

So why does someone this capable and experienced make such a major move from his home in Tulsa to Central Florida to a brand new organization? Dr. Greene says:

"Charisma Media is a respected and powerful voice in Christianity. Every phase of my career has contributed to and sharpened the gifts God gave me for this ministry. The opportunity is vast and the expectations are high. God placed me here to serve with everything He has given me, yet I know, I need Him every hour. We have all been joined together to further establish the legacy of Steve and Joy Strang as we spread the gospel through this mighty work that the Lord has established. I'm called, honored and humbled that I have been selected to stand shoulder to shoulder with Steve as we publish in the kingdom of God."

Steve Strangis the founding editor and publisher of Charisma. Follow him on Twitter @sstrang or Facebook (stephenestrang).

Franklin Graham even dared to rebuke President Obama at a time when other Christian leaders are embracing Chrislam.

Why is Graham so bold? Because he sees an Islamic storm coming against America. Although he's not a Pentecostal spiritual warrior who prays in tongues and binds devils, he has strong discernment and enough boldness to go toe-to-toe with the principalities and powers that have targeted Christians for destruction.

Franklin Graham is saying what most politicians, pastors, news pundits and others refuse to say: Islam is not a religion of peace.

Do Peaceful Religions Do This?

"For Muslims, peace comes only through submission to Islam. When they speak of peace, they mean submission to their religion," Graham says. "Worldwide, tens of thousands of men, women and children have been slaughtered in the name of Allah, under the bloody flag of Islam."

Graham made it clear to Obama, who appears at best a Muslim sympathizer, that followers of a peaceful religion do not cut off the heads of innocent people in the barbaric fashion the world has watched recently. He told Obama that believers in a peaceful religion do not kidnap 300 young schoolgirls as Boko Haram did in northeastern Nigeria in April and reportedly sell them to men to be sex slaves.

Hoping Obama would get the point, Graham told him men who practice a peaceful religion do not detonate bombs on an American street during a marathon race to kill and maim innocent people. He said no one who belongs to a peaceful religion would even consider hijacking jet airliners and flying them into buildings occupied by thousands of innocent people beginning their workday, as happened in this country and in this city on 9/11.

"Mr. President—no peaceful religion would tolerate, let alone practice, female circumcision, require a woman to have her husband's permission to leave her home and take up employment and restrict her ability to receive justice in the case of sex crimes," Graham says. ""Mr. President—a peaceful religion would not condone and allow a father to drown a daughter in a swimming pool in front of the family in the name of family honor because she might have stayed out late in the evening with her boyfriend, Mr. President—why haven't the 3.5 million Muslims in North America rejected this gross, barbaric and despicable behavior by their fellow Muslims on American soil?"

Obama Gives Islam a Pass

The righteous are as bold as a lion (see Prov. 28:1). Franklin Graham fits that description in his unrelenting campaign to expose Islam for what it really is—and for confronting an American president who some are starting to wonder is sleeping with the enemy. In fact, Graham told Fox News that Obama "only knows Islam" and therefore fails to use the term "radical Islam" when discussing Islamic terrorists.

"His mother was married to a Muslim. His father was a Muslim," Graham said during an "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" interview. "Then she married a man from Indonesia. He was raised in Indonesia. Went to Islamic schools. I assume she was a Muslim. So his whole life, his experiences have been surrounded by Islam. He only knows Islam. And he has given a pass to Islam."

Graham is not afraid to speak directly to Islamic terrorists, either. Graham is pointing to Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10 and Isaiah 45:23 in his latest response to Muslim terrorism.

"The evil of ISIS really shouldn't shock us—it is fully in keeping with their ultimate agenda of hastening a final apocalypse," Graham wrote on his Facebook page. "God's Word tells us that there will be a final battle one day, but it will result in the defeat of Satan and all those allied with him. One thing is for sure—one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Amen.

IHOPKC's Mike Bickle last month called for believers to support and pray for Graham as he has "boldly yet tenderly taken a biblical stance in warning America in relation to Islam, gay marriage and several other important subjects."

I'm making an even more fervent call for intercessors to rise up and pray for Graham day and night. The enemy would like nothing more than to silence this mouthpiece for God who is confronting and pushing back darkness in our generation. Likewise, those who subscribe to anti-Christ agendas are raging against his voice. Saints, let's make it a priority to lift up Graham in prayer, wage spiritual warfare against the attacks on his life and bless his ministry. And while you're at it, pray for President Obama too. Amen?

There is no question that churches have been badly burned by the notorious start-stop, roller coaster nature of most men's ministry. However, I want to introduce you to the No Man Left Behind Model—a simple yet robust model you can adopt to build an intentional,sustainable men's discipleship ministry to all of your men.

You can sketch it on a paper napkin at breakfast with one of your leaders. The vision is to help men grow as disciples and disciple-makers. On the left, you have men who need Christ. A conveyor belt moves "every man" along toward discipleship and spiritual maturity at his own pace. The create-capture-sustain cycle is the engine that powers the conveyor belt. Multiple repetitions of the create-capture-sustain cycle keep the conveyor belt moving.

The conveyor belt is built on three foundations. And the model works best when the church in general has a disciple-making culture.

No Man Left Behind is not something you "add" to your already busy schedule. It's not an additional "program." It's not a "curriculum." Rather, it's a process. An "intentional" process. You overlay it on top of your existing ministry. It will give you and your leaders a common language to organize what you are already doing to maximize your disciple-making impact. And it will reveal new areas of opportunity to disciple your men—all of them.

The No Man Left Behind Model can help you more effectively:

Attract new men to your church.

Help men who need Christ come to faith.

Help lukewarm cultural Christians renew their faith.

Give new believers and Cultural Christians an "on-ramp" to grow spiritually.

Assimilate men into your existing growth and service ministries.

Surface new servant leaders and disciple-makers for your church.

And you will be able to do this without adding a lot of new programming and work for yourself. Does this sound too good to be true? Let's dig in so you can see for yourself. Here are 15 main concepts of the No Man Left Behind Model:

1. An "all-inclusive"mindset: Successful churches have a vision to disciple all their men, not just those willing to join "men's only" activities. So if you have 100 men in your church, that's the size of your ministry to men.

2. "Ministry to men" versus "men's ministry": In fact, we suggest you even stop using the term "men's ministry" altogether—it can help you shed the baggage of the old way that reaches only "some" of your men.

3. Five types of men: A "one-size-fits-all" approach may have worked 50 years ago, but those days are long gone. In the field we find five types of men at various stages on their journeys. These five "sizes" of men fit along what we call "the wide-deep continuum." There are Men Who Need Christ, Cultural Christians, Biblical Christians, Servant Leaders and, among each of those four groups, Hurting Men.

4. Clarify your vision: In one way or another, the essence of your vision is "to disciple every man in the church."

5. A public slogan: You will also want a "public" vision statement—a "slogan"—that resonates with your men. Something like, "Every man a disciple and disciple-maker—starting at home" or "No man left behind."

6. An all-inclusive name: In addition to a "private" vision for the leadership team, and a slogan for your "public" vision statement, you will also want to come up with an "all-inclusive name"—one that unmistakably applies to all your men. Don't ever make men feel like they have to be part of your "men-only" ministry to be part of the "Men of Grace." Instead, describe any and every involvement men have with your church as something that the "Iron Men" (or whatever name you choose) are doing.

7. A common language: Since the term "disciple" can mean different things to different people, you will want to create a common language. Plan to preach a series on discipleship—something like, "What Is a Disciple, and How Do You Become One?" Focus on the biblical command to make disciples, texts that describe discipleship, and examples of discipleship that are already taking place in your church.

8. Create value: You can create momentum by offering men something they want—"something of value." That may be inviting them to have breakfast, attend church, play softball, or be your guest at a special men's event.

9. Capture momentum: It's so disappointing to expend all that energy to turn men out, then see them drift away when the event is over. Instead, offer what we call a "believable next right step" for the men who attend the "Success That Matters" dinner (or other event)—a step to help "capture" the momentum. For example, meeting one hour a week for six weeks to further discuss, say, "Success That Matters."

10. Sustain change: This is the silver bullet—the way you can use the model to populate the new and existing growth and service ministries of your church. At the end of the six week groups offer men opportunities to assimilate into the "existing" growth and service ministries of the church. You can also offer something "new."

11. Repeat the create-capture-sustain cycle: The create-capture-sustain cycle is the engine that moves men along the conveyor belt. Regularly repeat the cycle with something that targets other types of men. That's how you keep it going.

12. The portal priority: Discipleship is the "portal" priority through which all the other priorities of your church can be achieved.

13. Your man code: You have an unwritten "man code" that defines what it means to be a man in your church. From the décor, to the announcements, to how men are involved in the worship service, you can create an atmosphere that says: "Men matter here. Men can make a difference. God is doing something in and through the men of this church."

14. Three strands of leadership: Successful discipleship ministries for men need strong support from the senior pastor, a committed leader, and an effective leadership team—three strands of leadership.

15. A one-year plan: Develop a one-year plan to complete one cycle (or two) of create-capture-sustain, and then re-evaluate.

Watch a 10- or 30-minute presentation of the model, download the figure above, learn about the No Man Left Behind book and how to get more training here.

Patrick Morleyis the founder of Man in the Mirror Ministries. For the original article, visit patrickmorley.com.

Would you believe me if I told you that you could improve your flexibility, performance in workouts and function in everyday life, and reduce injuries all with a single piece of equipment that you can buy for less than $20? Well you should, because it's true!

Self-Myofascial Release (let's call it "SMR") utilizes a simple yet brilliant little invention called a foamroller along with your own body weight to massage away yucky adhesions that form on important connective tissue that surrounds individual muscles, muscle bundles within individual muscles, nerves and blood vessels. This web-like, connective tissue, called fascia, often turns from soft and supple to tight and tender due to a variety of causes, such as immobility, injury, inflammation, exercise, stress and poor posture. Deep compressions on the fascia, through rolling, signals the muscle fibers to stretch, unknot and realign, thereby decreasing pain and increasing mobility as normal muscle length-tension is restored.

When performed correctly and consistently, SMR with a foam roller can be like a fantastic, free masseuse. I recommend foam rolling both before and after workouts, and even during sitting breaks at work or at your desk at home. Foam rolling before exercise (after your warm-up) is beneficial because it helps the two major receptors in your muscles—the muscle spindle responsible for contraction and the Golgi tendon organ responsible for relaxation—become balanced with one another, thus reducing injuries and increasing range of motion during your training.

Foam rolling again after you exercise is important too, as it lessens post-workout muscle soreness and expedites recovery. And finally, foam rolling any time of day, whether during your lunch break or right before bed, will effectively alleviate stiffness, help muscles return to their normal, healthy lengths, increase circulation and remove toxins.

Here are a few of my favorite foam rolling variations that can be done before and after just about any workout. Please note that it is always recommended to consult with your physician or physical therapist before starting SMR. Most people will be cleared immediately, and your doctor will likely encourage the practice.

Hips

Does your lower back hurt? Roll out your hips, because if your hips are stiff, you'll find yourself bending at your waist during workouts and daily chores instead, which puts pressure on your lower back. Over time, this will lead to injury.

How to Roll

Sit on the foam roller with feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Hands are on the floor beside you.

Cross your right leg over your left, making a "4" with your legs. Rotate your hips to the right until you find a tight or painful spot. If and when you feel tightness, stop and hold for eight to 10 seconds.

Roll back and forth a few more times, then return to the spot and hold again. It will be painful, but pain is a sign that your muscles need this. Be diligent in foam rolling each day, and the pain will subside, I promise!

Move your hips forward and back to massage any more such areas for one to two minutes, then switch sides.

Upper Back

Thanks to desk jobs, as well as time spent in cars and on couches, most of us could use better posture, stronger shoulders, and less stiffness and upper back pain!

How to Roll

Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Place the foam roller behind you so that it's perpendicular to your torso. Lie back, making sure the roller is under your shoulder blades.

Support your head with your hands and keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Lift your bottom so that your weight is supported by your feet and the foam roller.

Begin moving your hips up and down, keeping elbows squeezed together in front of your face. Again, when you find a tight spot, hold for eight to ten seconds.

Alternate rolling and holding for one to two minutes.

Inner Thigh

If your knees are giving you trouble, it's likely due to poor stability in your hip joint and gluteus medius (one of the glute muscles responsible for internally rotating the thigh as well as pulling it away from the midline of our bodies), which is causing your iliotibial (IT) band to overcompensate during exercise. Many people foam roll over the wide strip of tendon on the outer thigh (the IT band) to try and loosen it, but this is often done in vain as the IT band is like a steel cable and could take what seems like millennia to improve.

If your knees hurt, try rolling the inside of your thigh to reduce inflammation in any muscles that may be pulling on your knee joint.

How to Roll

Position yourself so that one leg is turned out and the foam roller is under your inner thigh.

Pin your forearms to the floor in a shoulder plank position, and use your arms to roll up and down along the inner thigh. When you find a tight spot, hold for eight to ten seconds.

Continue this pattern for one to two minutes, then switch legs.

There are dozens of other foam rolling exercises out there, so I encourage you to ask a trainer, coach, physical therapist or well-informed friend for more suggestions. And now for a word on what kind of foam roller to use ...

The cheapest foam rollers available are basic white ones made from polyurethane, the same kind of foam used in paint rollers. Though very affordable, they're not the best choice, in my opinion, as they break down easily. If you're brand new to foam rolling, I recommend an ethylene vinyl acetate foam roller, which is a bit softer, but won't break down.

After you've been rolling for a while and feel ready to tolerate more pressure, it will be time to graduate to a "closed cell" roller, which is made of polypropylene. These are high density, so definitely more firm than the aforementioned options. Experienced foam rollers can even use a piece of PVC drainage pipe (about 4 inches in diameter is best). These are available at most hardware stores and are excellent to use on the upper part of the legs, as well as the calves.

As far as foam roller size goes, this will likely depend on how much space you have, but generally, the longer (36 inches) the roller, the better; a longer roller is easier to maneuver along your whole body. If you don't have the space, or perhaps need a roller to pack with you while traveling, look for a shorter one that's at least 6 inches in diameter.

]]>shawn.akers@charismamedia.com (Diana Anderson-Tyler)FeaturedHealthLifeTue, 24 Feb 2015 15:00:00 -0500EXCLUSIVE: Are We Seeing the New World Order Rising?http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/prophecy/22646-exclusive-are-we-seeing-the-new-world-order-rising
http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/prophecy/22646-exclusive-are-we-seeing-the-new-world-order-rising

For all the conspiracy theories and fear mongering, it's difficult to not at least consider the reality of a New World Order rising. But there is good news amid the darkness.

Charisma News: What struck you most as you wrote Destination Jerusalem?

Mitchell: I remember thinking in one of the refugee camps we visited that Iraq was like Humpty Dumpty and could never be put back together again. It struck me then and still does that we are witnessing a new era in the Middle East and world history.

I quoted former Secretary of State Chuck Hagel in the book. He said, "We are living through one of these historic, defining times. I think we are seeing a new world order." Militant Islam like ISIS is becoming a global phenomenon, re-drawing borders, and we will live with its consequences for a long time to come.

With ISIS on the march, Iran developing nuclear weapons and terror attacks from Paris to Sydney, we are living through perilous times. It feels like it must have in 1939 on the eve of World War II.

Two authors I think describe it best. Charles Dickens said "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Isaiah said, "Arise, shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Deep darkness covers the peoples."

In the days to come, I believe we will see great light and great darkness. The good news is that many Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus like never in the 1,400 history of Islam, many of them through supernatural dreams and visions.

The other good news is that in the midst of this crucible we are seeing the signs of a coming kingdom "not made with hands" as Daniel [prophesied] and a coming King, the Lord Jesus Himself. It's a time to "look up for our Redemption cometh nigh."

It's called "the disease to please." A deadly bacteria that starts as a small twinge in your gut when you know you've let someone down.

Some recover rather quickly upon realizing how taxing this disease is, others remain infected for long periods of time; some take years or even their entire life.

I am one of the latter seeking a cure.

Any doctor will tell you that if you truly wish to cure a disease, you must understand its make-up. You must know its components, its root. Sure, you can take a Tylenol for a headache, but when the Tylenol wears off you'll have to take another and another—unless you know the root of the headache and address that.

What is the root of the disease to please?

To discover this, we must look at the components of the disease:

1. I don't want to disappoint

The truth of the matter is, it is impossible to go through life and never disappoint anyone. Any effort we make to do so will only result in being pulled in multiple directions by the loudest voices. We will find ourselves taken advantage of and used.

2. I don't want to be misunderstood

This has always been a great fear of mine. It has often led me to be far too open about my life and failures; it has resulted in self-deprecation and over-explanation of my activities and responsibilities. It wasn't until early last year that I had a massive revelation:

People don't really care.

This may sound a little harsh, but let's examine that for a moment.

I don't mean that people don't care about me. Its just that they really aren't into all the minute details of what I do everyday. It doesn't concern them—and it shouldn't. They have their own lives and abundance of responsibilities. It isn't their business to know all the things I'm committed to and everything that I have to accomplish in a day.

Furthermore, if people choose to judge my character based on a simple "no," that is their problem to deal with. I can't let it concern me.

3. I don't want people to think me unreliable

This was another fear I struggled with. Having been raised with a strong sense of responsibility, it was one of the worst things you could accuse me of—right next to being a disappointment.

I look back and shake my head at times when I remember the incredible lengths I would go to so as to avoid being thought of as unreliable. Truth be told, while people may have found that admirable, most times it was unnecessary.

Having established these three components (and I am sure there are more, but these were my top 3), can we not immediately determine that the common element in them is the word "I"?

I don't want to disappoint, I don't want to be misunderstood, I don't want people to think me unreliable.

Anytime there is a preoccupation with self we can safely say that pride is at play.

Pride

1 John 2:16 illustrates for us three root sins, to which all sin can be traced. One of them: the pride of life.

As I read Chapter 1, I saw myself so clearly that it could almost be a biographical sketch of my own life.

The first steps I am taking to cure myself of this horrible disease are:

1. Humbly admit that not only can I not do it all, I wasn't created to do it all

2. Become reacquainted with the purpose God has given me for my life

Dear sister, if you don't have a vision for your life, there are plenty of people out there who will be happy to let you help them fulfill theirs. While it is not wrong to partner with others in accomplishing their vision, we must make sure that this activity is in line with the purpose we were created for. Otherwise we will simply become hamsters in a ball, purposelessly running in circles and accomplishing nothing of value.

3. Embrace the grace to be human.

Being human means I will fail. Being human means I will disappoint. Being human means I will be misunderstood. But having grace means that I can be OK with that, knowing that everyone around me has the same limitations.

At the end of the day, dear sister, it is far better to be free to accomplish the divine purpose I was created for than to please man.

Rosilind,a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her Bosnian hero. Together they live in the country with their 2 active boys where she enjoys fruity candles and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. She holds an Associates of Practical Theology and is passionate about discipling and encouraging women. Her passion for writing led her to author a number of books. She is the author of A Little R & R where she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. She can also be found at these other places on a regular basis. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.

]]>ldhaywood@gmail.com (Rosilind Jukic)FeaturedWomenLifeTue, 24 Feb 2015 11:00:00 -0500Prophecy: The Next 18 Months Will Determine the Course of This Nationhttp://www.charismamag.com/blogs/prophetic-insight/22640-prophecy-the-next-18-months-will-determine-the-course-of-this-nation
http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/prophetic-insight/22640-prophecy-the-next-18-months-will-determine-the-course-of-this-nation

In 2007, the Lord woke me in the middle of the night to share His heart about this nation—and His intentions. You can read the entire prophecy here, but the bottom line is He wants us to repent and He wants to bring a Third Great Awakening to America.

That's not going to happen without intercessors making an appeal to heaven. It's not going to happen without praying churches—and praying pastors—crying out to God day and night, night and day. It's not going to happen if we submit ourselves to a Jezebelic White House that's endorsing immorality and idolatry.

But I believe it is going to happen because I see intercessors making an appeal to heaven. I see praying churches—and praying pastors—crying out to God day and night, night and day. And I see people like Franklin Graham dropping a plumb line in our nation (which is why I recently called for urgent intercession over him).

In December, the Lord spoke something more to me while I was on an early morning prayer call. He told me our labor in the Spirit over the next 18 months will determine the course of this nation. Strong words, I know, but I believe them with every fiber of my being. Here's the entire prophecy:

"The church has modeled the government instead of the government modeling the church. There are strife and division in the government. There are strife and division in the church. There are corruption and scandal in the government. There are corruption and scandal in the church. There are politics and merchandising in the government. There are politics and merchandising in the church.

"These things ought not be so. The church at large has submitted to the government and its ways but the government should be accountable to the church. It's time to turn the world upside down, not for the glory of a president but for the glory of the risen King.

"So rise up. Rise up now in the authority of My Spirit and wake up the church with My love. Reform and transform the church with My truth. And then turn your attention to your government. Pray without ceasing according to the assignment I have given you and you will see My power work to bring the change you have been hoping and believing for.

"Don't give up now. Many are standing for you and the great cloud of witnesses is in agreement with you. Continue pressing in and refuse to submit to the ungodly. Your labor in the Spirit over the next 18 months will determine the course of the nation. Watch and pray. Pray without ceasing. Cooperate with My Spirit. Listen to My voice. Execute My plan. Don't give up."

I don't know about you, but that stirs me to intercede for the church—and for the nation. While writing The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening, I spoke with leaders from many camps in the body of Christ—folks who don't always agree on much beyond Jesus as Lord—and they all agreed on this: Judgment is here and an awakening is emerging. The question is how severe must the judgment become before the America fully wakes up.

I believe we need to do what the Spirit of God told me: "Rise up now in the authority of My Spirit and wake up the church with My love. Reform and transform the church with My truth. And then turn your attention to your government. Pray without ceasing according to the assignment I have given you and you will see My power work to bring the change you have been hoping and believing for."

God wants to bring an awakening. In fact, I see pockets of revival and awakening in cities across America. I've never been more hopeful. God is not done with America. It's up to us to get in agreement with His Spirit and pray in the next great move of God that sweeps the nation.

Dr. Bill Hamon's latest book answers a question that lingers in the hearts of many, particularly with regard to ministers committing major sin in their personal lives. Yet these leaders pastor major churches, healing the sick and ministering to the congregation.

Dr. Hamon reminds us of Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

He notes that when a sinful preacher prospers, "God is not confirming their ministries at all." Instead, "He is confirming His word." God allows the ministry to be successful because He cares about the people who are listening and wants them to be saved and healed.

Dr. Hamon also answers other important questions like, "Are these ministers still guaranteed Heaven since they were saved once? Dr. Hamon says, "No." Can their names be erased from the book of life? Dr. Hamon says, "Yes."

What are some ways that a spirit of deception is active in the church? (False doctrine and false teaching, which he likens to rat poison, which is 99 percent good for you, but 1 percent fatal.)

The 10 M's

Dr. Hamon outlines 10 M's that help us discern a true from a false minister. They are:

1. Manhood (or Womanhood): The man (or woman) comes before the ministry. "God wants to make us like Jesus before we can minister fully as Jesus did."

2. Ministry: Does our ministry manifest the anointing of God—that is the divine enablement of grace to accomplish God's intended results? Or is there more talk than true power? Dr. Hamon says, "Is our preaching or prophesying productive? Has our ministry produced fruit?"

3. Message: Ministers are to speak the truth in love. Dr. Hamon says, "It should present the word of God in a way that is thoroughly scriptural, doctrinally sound, and well–balanced in the light of the full testimony of the Bible."

4. Maturity: "The Bible wisely warns us not to place new Christians in places of leadership, but to wait until they have had a chance to be proven and to mature," says Dr. Hamon. This maturity should include personal, emotional, and spiritual maturity.

5. Marriage: A minister's marriage should reflect the relationship that exists between Christ and the Church. Dr. Hamon says, "Ministry must not compete with family. Meanwhile, we must not allow the ministry to deny us adequate time and energy to build a healthy relationship with our children, as is all too often the case with ministers."

6. Methods: In our ministry methods, we must be what Dr. Hamon calls "rigidly righteous." A minister should be honest in all areas.

7. Manners: Dr. Hamon believes that ministers "should be different from the world in their manners. Love is a principle we practice, a way of life."

8. Money: A minister should always be a good steward over his or her finances. Dr. Hamon says, "The Christian can have money, but money must not have the Christian. It's a matter of heart attitude, motive, and biblically ordered priorities."

9. Morality: "Sexual immorality has no place in the life of a Christian minister ... our firm standard must be purity," says Dr. Hamon.

10. Motive: "In short, do we minister out of a heart full of God's love? If not, the the Scripture says our ministry is nothing."

What Are We Here For?

Dr. Hamon says there are eight reasons God created man. They are:

1. To fill the earth with the likeness of Himself.

2. To reveal His own heart and nature as love.

3. For man to be a free moral agent so he could be tested, tried, purified and conformed to the image of Christ.

4. For God to have the power of procreation so He could father a biological Son (Jesus) and not a created son like Adam.

5. To provide a many-membered bride for His Son.

6. To bring the Church as the body of Christ to co-labor with Him as joint-heirs in carrying out God's purpose.

7. To offer up praise and worship to God.

8. For fellowship with Him.

Bishop Bill Hamonis known around the world as the pioneer and father of the prophetic movement. He is the founder of the Christian International Apostolic Network.

Neghmeh Abedini is praising God this week—not because her husband, persecuted American pastor Saeed, has been released from an Iranian prison—rather, because Saeed is experiencing the manifest presence of God.

"Saeed's father was able to see Saeed in prison today (behind a glass window). It was a wonderful time of fellowship and Saeed got to hear of all of your prayers and words of encouragement that you had shared. Nothing encourages him more than to know that you are all praying for him and that he is not forgotten," Abedini wrote on her Facebook page.

Abedini says the amazing part of the visit was that Saeed and his father started praying, worshipping and sharing from God's Word together. Even though the guards were there watching, she says they didn't seem to want to end the visit.

"They were allowing them to pray and worship together. The normal 20-minute visit turned into 40 minutes, which turned into an hour, which turned into a few hours," she says. "Saeed and his father were shocked the amount of time that they were allowed. The presence of the Lord was so strong that the guards did not want to intervene and end the visit! Praise the Lord!"

Still, Abedini is asking for the saints to continue praying for Saeed's health, his nutrition, and for clean water. She says the quality of the prison water is very poor and so is the nutrition.

"Saeed has not been able to purchase mineral water or protein from the prison store as they have stopped providing them for purchase which has affected his health," she writes. Thank you all for your prayers! Love you all!"

I'm reading a book that really resonates. It is about purpose. You can get the gist from the TedTalk here.

Why do you do what you do? Simon Sinek repeats over and over in his book Start with Why, "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." As I've walked through my days this week with that phrase resounding in my head I've come to a realization:

I don't buy what I do—I look for a reason—for the why I do it. I hate getting out of bed to monotony. I want life to have meaning, purpose, depth and energy—and I get all those things when I am able to connect what I am doing with a greater "why."

This concept expands. Family finances/schedules/priorities are a mess of wants—until you have an overarching goal and remind yourselves regularly why you make money and what you are about.

There is another concept (called the FLOW model) that we are at our peak when our skills and our challenge level are both at on high—if we are low on challenge, but high on skills we veg through life. If we are low on skills but high on challenge, we live in a high stress situation that, when pushed too far, can result in apathy. To live in that place of high challenge and high skills is delight.

When we know our purpose, we push ourselves—we beat down doors and open gates—to do what we are called to do. We put ourselves in that place of delight.

This brings to mind Joseph. Joseph was a gifted administrator. His father saw it, and used him to check up on his brothers—that didn't end well. Then, while in captivity, in every situation despite being a slave, Joseph found a way to live to his purpose. He rose to the top every time. He knew his why—he was designed to administer. No matter his plight, he was able to rise because he knew his purpose.

So here is my question:

How do you know if you are on your way to a sweet spot, or waiting for Why?

Kim Martinezis a regular contributor to Ministry Today magazine's blog. She is a writer, speaker and ministry coach. You can hear more from her at deepimprints.com.

When the Islamic State released video footage of the brutal murder of Coptic Christians in Libya early this week, one bishop noticed something astonishing.

"In the moment of their barbaric execution ... The name of Jesus was the last word on their lips," Bishop Antonios Aziz Mina of Giza says.

Pope Francis labeled the 21 ISIS victims as martyrs on Tuesday.

"The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard ... It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same. Their blood confesses Christ," the Pope said, according to The Economist.

"Our brother Copts, whose throats were slit for the sole reason of being Christian ... the Lord welcome them as martyrs," he prayed the next day.

"They entrusted themselves to the one who would receive them soon after. That name, whispered in the last moments, was like the seal of their martyrdom," Mina says.

Coptic Christians are a minority and in more danger in the Middle East than other Christians.

With brutal persecution, Bishop Giovanni Martinelli of Tripoli, Libya, tells the Inquistrthat "Few of us remain." Those who remain in the area are mostly Philippine nurses who wish to continue to provide aid while area hospitals have been evacuated.